Discopery 
ofa 
Lo5tt?rail 


CHARLES  B.hEWCOMB 


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OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

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BOOKS   BY 
CHARLES    B.    NEWCOMB 


ALL'S  RIGHT  WITH  THE  WORLD 

261   pages     Cloth $i-50 

DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST  TRAIL 

282  pages     Cloth $1.50 


BY  KATHARINE  H.  NEWCOMB 


HELPS   TO  RIGHT  LIVING 

52  chapters     Clotli     Gilt  top  .     .     .     $1.25 


DISCOVERY  OF  A  LOST  TRAIL 


BY 

CHARLES    B.    NEWCOMB 

Author  of 
"All's  Right  with  the  World" 


"  Ho,  ye   who    suffer !  know  ye    suffer  from  yourselves. 
None  else  compels  —  no  other  holds  you  that  ye  live  or  die'' 

SiDDARTHA 

"  It  is  only  as  a  man  puts  off  from  himself  all  external 

support  and  stands   alone   that  1  see  him   to  be  strong-  and 

to  prevail." 

Emerson 


SECOND   EDITION 


BOSTON 

LEE   AND   SHEPARD    PUBLISHERS 

1901 


COPVRIGHT,    1900,    BY   CRARLBS   B.    NBWCOMB. 


All  rights  reserved. 


Discovery  of  a  Lost  Trail. 


y«cktot(l  nxa  Cburcftill  9ire«* 

BOSTON,    U.S.A. 


To  my  Daughters 

IDtrainia  ant)  /iDarian 

in  whose   dear   companionship   life  seems    always 
gladsome  and  joyous,  I  dedicate  this  volume. 

C.  B.  N. 


lOOSSF'^ 


^■<j^ 


It  is  not  enough  to  have    this  globe  or  a  certain  time,  I 
will  have  thousands  of  globes  and  all  time. 

Walt  Whitmam. 

Let  us  go  up  at    once    and    possess    the    land,   for  we  are 

well  able  to  overcome  it. 

CALEn,   Prince  of  yuda/t. 


PREFACE. 


There  is  nothing  new  in  this  book.  It  is  a  simple  study  of 
that  strange  and  beautiful  thing  which  we  call  life.  It  con- 
tains only  a  few  familiar  signboards  that  have  helped  some 
bewildered  travellers  to  find  their  way  in  paths  that  seemed 
mountainous  and  difficult. 

Plain  suggestions  of  confidence,  patience,  gladness,  and 
decision  often  bring  us  back  to  the  trail  we  have  lost  through 
the  uncertainty  of  our  own  power  and  freedom. 

When  we  really  are  assured  of  the  right  road  we  can  truly 
believe  that  life  is  a  song  and  not  a  cry. 

When  we  can  feel  confident  that  all  wanderers  will  at  last 
come  through  the  stress  of  storm  and  fog  in  which  they  have 
seemed  to  miss  their  way  we  are  cheered  and  comforted. 

The  lights  of  the  hospice  gleam  in  the  darkness,  and  we 
know  that  within  are  abundant  food  and  warmth  for  every 
belated  traveller. 

We  are  sometimes  gladdened  by  a  fresh  touch  upon  the 
strings  of  the  harp  of  Life. 

The  sounding  of  a  few  old  chords  may  soothe  and  comfort 
us  like  the  cradle-songs  of  infancy. 

The  writer  has  not  aimed  at  metaphysical  fugues  or 
oratorios. 

If  the  reader  is  looking  for  novelties  in  philosophy,  or  sub- 
lime strains  in  the  harmonies  of  thought,  let  him  close  this 
volume  with  the  preface,  for  critics  will  find  it  without  rhyme 
or  reason. 

There  are,  doubtless,  many  worldly-wise  ones  who  will 
protest  impatiently  that  these  teachings  are  not  practical. 


6  PREFACE. 

This  objection  will  come  from  some  to  whom  the  life  of 
the  soul  has  been  but  a  theory  for  intellectual  analysis. 

It  will  not  come  from  any  who  have  passed  the  threshold 
of  spiritual  experience. 

It  will  come  oftenest  from  those  whose  "practical" 
methods  have  never  gained  for  them  the  success  or  happiness 
they  sought. 

If  these  pages  should  aid  any  troubled  soul  to  discover 
the  inner  light  that  shines  upon  the  path  of  life  —  if  they 
should  open  the  spiritual  vision  to  discern  the  mighty  hosts 
encamped  about  us  to  deliver  us  —  the  lost  trail  will  indeed 
be  found,  and  as  fellow-pilgrims  we  will  go  on  our  way 
rejoicing. 

CHARLES    B.    NEWCOMB. 


CONTENTS 


I.    The  Lost  Trail 9 

II.     Confidence 31 

III.  Toiling  in  Rowing 53 

IV.  Patience 75 

V.     Master  Mariners 99 

VI.    Will 117 

VII.  The  Evolution  of  Power  .     .     .  139 

VIII.    Decision 161 

IX.    Thought  Tonics 183 

X.    Expression 203 

XI.  The  Power  of  Gladness    .    .    .  225 

XII.  A  Plea  for  Matter       ....  245 

XIII.    The  Song  of  Life 265 


(7) 


I. 

THE   LOST   TRAIL. 

So  must  you  press  forward  to  open  your  soul  to  the 
Eternal.  But  it  must  be  the  Eternal  that  draws  forth  your 
strength  and  beauty,  not  desire  of  growth. 

For  in  the  one  case  you  develop  in  the  luxuriance  of 
purity,  in  the  other  you  harden  by  the  forcible  passion  for 
personal  stature.  —  "  Light  on  the  Pathy 

It  is  related  that  in  the  ancient  days  there  were 
rich  mines  of  gold  in  Central  Africa.  These 
mines  yielded  millions  to  the  Egyptian  govern- 
ment under  the  early  Pharaohs. 

In  the  succeeding  wars  for  existence  mining  was 
neglected,  and  all  knowledge  of  these  valuable 
deposits  was  lost  for  several  centuries.  Later  the 
Romans  discovered  and  reopened  the  gold  fields. 
They  constructed  a  stone  road  up  the  Nile  Valley. 
This  road  stretched  out  across  the  desert  to  the 
ancient  mines.  But  it  was  afterwards  neglected 
and  buried  in  sand  by  the  hot  winds.  Portions  of 
it  have  been  found  at  different  times  by  various 
explorers,  but  the  place  of  the  hidden  treasures  is 
no  longer  known,  and  the  broken  trail  ends  in  a 
trackless  desert. 

This  page  from  a  chapter  of  history  has  its 
correspondence  in  the  thought  life  of  the  race  and 

(9) 


lO  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

in  many  an  individual  experience.  Man's  undiscov- 
ered country  is  the  largest  part  of  his  domains. 
His  undeveloped  resources  are  his  richest  treasures  ; 
his  latent  powers  are  his  mightiest  forces.  In  the 
struggle  for  existence,  his  spiritual  nature  has 
been  often  buried  by  the  hot  sands  of  his  selfish- 
ness and  mercenary  ambitions.  Greed  of  gold 
and  worldly  power  has  chilled  and  blighted  his 
higher  purposes.  The  race  has  often  fallen  into 
periods  which  we  call  "  Dark  Ages."  The  mines 
of  truth  have  been  neglected  and  forgotten.  The 
roads  which  lead  to  them  have  been  covered  up. 
From  time  to  time  some  poet  or  philosopher  has 
found  stretches  of  the  lost  trail,  some  bits  of  the 
paths  of  wisdom;  but  these  discoverers  have  been 
as  voices  crying  in  the  wilderness.  Such  were 
the  Egyptian  sages,  the  Hebrew  prophets,  the 
Greek  philosophers.  Such  were  Hermes,  Isaiah, 
Socrates,  Plato,  and  Zeno.  Such  were  also  Bud- 
dha, Zoroaster,  Jesus.  Sometimes  these  voices 
have  been  heard  in  the  later  centuries  breaking 
in  upon  the  tumult  of  material  life  and  proclaim- 
ing, even  in  the  senate  chamber  and  the  market 
place,  that  there  were  other  and  surer  roads  to 
happiness  than  those  that  most  men  followed  — 
that  there  was  fabulous  wealth  in  every  soul  and 
magical  power  in  every  life,  awaiting  the  unfold- 
ment  of  the  master  mind. 

When  we  are  tired  of  the  aimless  wanderinsr  in 


THE  LOST  TRAIL.  1 1 

trackless  deserts,  dissatisfied  with  the  broken 
cisterns  and  mirage  of  purely  material  pleasures, 
we  can  recover  the  lost  trail  and  find  in  the  higher 
nature  a  wealth  beyond  the  dreams  of  avarice,  and 
living  fountains  which  are  inexhaustible.  In  this 
discovery  alone  do  we  find  rest  and  peace. 

When  our  activities  are  in  rhythmic  accord  with 
the  law  of  our  being,  disappointment  and  failure 
are  impossible.  Fear  throws  us  out  of  step  and 
makes  us  stumble.  Back  of  fear  is  always 
selfishness. 

One  may  safely  walk  over  a  high  trestle  in  the 
dark  when  he  cannot  see  the  depths  below  him  or 
hear  the  noise  of  the  rushing  river.  He  easily 
measures  the  regular  interval  between  the  timbers, 
and  adjusts  his  step  to  cross  it  without  faltering. 
But  let  the  flash  of  a  lantern  reveal  the  distance  to 
the  eye,  or  the  tumbling  of  the  waters  alarm  the 
ear,  and  immediately  the  senses  are  thrown  into 
confusion,  and  the  moverpent  becomes  a  matter  of 
difficulty  to  the  timid  traveller. 

When  we  look  off  from  a  great  height  upon 
illimitable  space  we  sometimes  feel  bewildered  and 
dazed. 

An  undeveloped  nature  would  perhaps  be  frozen 
with  horror  if  it  could  see  into  the  far  depths  of 
its  past  and  hear  the  rushing  of  the  river  of  its 
life  as  it  had  swept  down  the  channel  of  the  ages 
in  the  long  history  of  evolution.     It  would  be  par- 


12  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

alyzed  with  terror  if  it  could  look  into  the  illimitable 
future  along  the  infinite  line  of  vanishing  perspec- 
tive that  its  life  will  follow.  It  would  be  like 
the  dove  sent  forth  by  Noah  into  the  great  wilder- 
ness of  waters  that  could  find  no  resting-place  for 
the  sole  of  her  foot. 

Light  sometimes  bewilders  as  well  as  darkness. 
The  electric  lantern  is  too  dazzling  for  use  in  the 
lighthouses  of  the  coast.  There  is  danger  of  blind- 
ing the  navigator,  and  making  it  difficult  for  him 
to  judge  of  distances.  A  strong  light  misplaced 
will  so  deepen  the  shadows  of  a  road  as  to  exag- 
gerate its  difficulties.  We  stumble  at  fancied 
obstructions  that  are  only  shadows  in  a  smooth 
path. 

We  lose  the  rhythm  of  our  steps,  and  when 
we  come  to  a  real  impediment  we  think  that,  too, 
is  an  illusion.  Intoxication  is  as  possible  on  the 
higher  planes  as  on  those  of  intellect  and  sense. 
There  is  such  a  thing  as  metaphysical  inebriety. 
Its  sufferers  are  often  those  who  have  done  good 
work.  They  find  themselves  crippled  and  inca- 
pacitated, to  the  surprise  of  themselves  and  .their 
pupils.  This  fact  calls  for  a  new  diagnosis  in 
mental  pathology. 

There  are  two  classes  of  mind  in  the  community  : 
one  class  believes  in  matter,  and  scoffs  at  spirit ; 
the  other  believes  in  spirit,  and  scoff's  at  matter. 
Each  accuses  the  other  of  mistaking  shadows  for 


THE  LOST   TRAIL.  1 3 

substance,  and  each  gives  a  different  definition  to 
reality.  If  we  found  that  either  class  could  walk 
without  stumbling,  we  might  safely  choose  our 
guides.  But  when  they  stumble  alike,  we  must 
conclude  that  they  are  making  similar  mistakes. 

Cannot  we  sin  against  matter  as  well  as  against 
spirit?  Who  can  be  trusted  to  discriminate  at  all 
times  between  the  shadow  and  the  substance  ?  May 
it  not  be  true  that  both  are  substance,  and  both 
shadow,  at  different  times,  and  in  different  rela- 
tions? 

In  the  subjective  realms  the  objective  seems  a 
dream  —  an  unreality.  It  is  a  mistake  to  think 
that  dreams  and  unrealities  attach  only  to  the 
mortal  sense. 

In  the  objective  life  that  which  relates  to  the 
subjective  plane  seems  the  unreal  and  undefined. 

In  the  night  the  experiences  of  the  day  appear 
far  off  and  vague.  When  we  awaken  in  the  morn- 
ing we  remember  the  night  as  a  dream  of  bliss 
or  horror. 

So  do  we  live  in  two  worlds  or  states  of  con- 
sciousness. We  cannot  easily  make  either  real 
while  experiencing  the  other. 

We  have  every  reason  to  know  that  this  is  as 
true  after  death  as  before,  and  continues  till  we 
have  gained  an  intelligent  consciousness  of  our 
power  to  master  life  in  both  conditions,  realizing 
that  both  are    actual  and  true.      Until   we    have 


14  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

reached  this  point  of  understanding  we  are  only- 
dreamers  at  the  best,  and  just  as  wrong  when  we 
deny  the  reaHty  of  matter  as  when  we  deny  that  of 
spirit. 

Matter  can  avenge  itself  as  well  as  spirit.  For 
every  atom  is  an  individual  intelligence. 

The  great  question  of  life  is  one  of  poise — of 
equilibrium. 

This  is  not  gained  with  fanciful  theories. 

The  inebriate  is  disturbed  in  his  brain  —  the 
glutton  in  his  stomach. 

The  temperate  man  compels  both  meat  and 
drink  to  serve  his  wants,  and  maintains  his  balance 
through  preserving  normal  circulation. 

If  the  materialistic  stomach  is  often  out  of  order, 
so  is  the  metaphysical  head.  It  is  unsafe  for  the 
stomach  to  scorn  the  head  or  the  head  the  stomach. 
Neither  can  safely  call  the  other  a  dream  and  an 
illusion,  for  the  mucous  membrane  and  nerve  cells 
are  very  similar  in  both.  If  our  philosophies  are 
to  "be  practical  and  useful  we  must  not  forget  that 
truth  is  relative  as  well  as  absolute. 

Ethical  propositions  must  be  shown  in  their 
right  relations  to  the  life  of  the  individual  of  the 
present  day.  Truth  is  not  complex  and  occult. 
We  stumble  oftenest  at  its  simplicity.  We  do  not 
properly  distinguish  light  and  shadow  and  so  we 
are  misled  by  both.  Life  is  a  constant  attempt 
to  realize  ideals. 


THE  LOST    TRAIL.  1$ 

The  mind  of  man  is  a  crucible  in  which  the  ideal 
is  transmuted  into  the  real.  This  process  of  trans- 
mutation is  the  spiritual  chemistry  we  are  here 
to  learn. 

There  is  no  poverty  of  material  in  the  labora- 
tory. Every  individual  in  every  hour  has  the 
opportunity  of  all  the  happiness  of  which  he  is 
capable  through  understanding  of  himself 

Some  so-called  metaphysicians  begin  their  teach- 
ings with  good  basic  propositions,  but  soon  cut 
their  ground  cables  and  carry  their  pupils  to  the 
clouds,  leaving  them  to  get  down  again  to  terra 
firma  as  best  they  may  and  find  their  own  way 
back  to  reason. 

It  would  be  well  for  us  to  begin  to  think  of 
climbing  up  to  the  animal  plane  instead  of  talking 
so  much  of  living  above  it. 

The  popular  illusion  concerning  the  real  mean- 
ing of  spirituality  is  becoming  daily  more  apparent 
in  metaphysical  circles. 

The  immediate  requirements  of  this  planet 
earth  are  in  the  line  of  a  higher  and  more  perfect 
type  of  animal  life  in  the  human  race.  It  can 
never  be  realized  through  a  supercilious  contempt 
for  our  animal  functions  and  denial  of  them  as 
illusory. 

Spiritual  progress  implies  a  better  understand- 
ing and  appreciation  of  life  in  all  its  forms,  a 
more  complete  adjustment  of  our  relations  to  the 


1 6  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 

material  world,  a  mastery  of  its  forces  through 
intelligent  recognition  in  place  of  blind  antagonism. 
The  inevitable  result  of  this  is  perfection  of  species 
along  the  lines  upon  which  nature  has  always 
worked,  and  not  the  substitution  of  new  methods. 
In  this  way  only  can  we  show  that  man  is  not  the 
bond-slave  of  heredity. 

No  matter  what  ancestral  trait  has  been  repro- 
duced, no  matter  what  taint  in  the  blood  has 
shown  itself  anew,  it  can  be  wholly  overcome  in 
any  individual  life.  It  can  be  eradicated  from  the 
system  when  the  soul  has  been  aroused  to  its 
work. 

Man  is  his  own  creator,  and  can  dominate  what 
his  mind  has  expressed.  He  can  change  at  will 
the  colors  or  the  texture  of  the  thought  with  which 
he  builds. 

It  was  once  customary  in  Jerusalem  for  pilgrims 
during  the  holy  week  to  crowd  about  the  sepul- 
chre and  wait  for  the  appearance  of  the  sacred 
fire.  Every  one  held  a  taper  in  his  hand  and 
watched  through  long  hours  of  darkness  for  the 
glimmer  from  the  tomb.  At  length  when  it  ap- 
peared those  nearest  to  the  cave  would  light  their 
tapers,  others  kindled  theirs  from  those  of  their 
friends,  and  so  the  flame  would  spread  till  the 
entire  church  was  brilliantly  illuminated. 

Many  had  journeyed  from  distant  lands  upon 
the    accumulated  savings  of  a  lifetime    that  they 


THE  LOST   TRAIL.  17 

might  take  part  in  this  ceremony  and  afterward 
be  baptized  in  the  Jordan. 

To-day  there  are  many  in  America  who  look  to 
the  East  for  the  sacred  fire  and  baptism,  many 
who  beUeve  that  only  in  India  can  the  highest 
truth  be  acquired.  Their  most  cherished  desire 
is  to  find  the  Mahatmas  and  sit  at  their  feet  as 
disciples. 

As  we  once  suffered  from  the  disease  of  "An- 
glomania," so  are  we  in  danger  now  from  "  Hin- 
dumania."  It  is  doubtful  if  any  of  our  Hindu 
friends  have  brought  us  a  thought  that  was  not 
already  known  to  careful  students  of  philosophy 
in  our  western  world.  We  are  slow  to  recognize 
the  fact  that  truth  is  universal  and  not  geograph- 
ical. 

It  is  everywhere  present  like  the  ether.  It  per- 
vades all  life,  and  its  right  interpretation  is  acces- 
sible to  every  earnest  soul.  We  do  not  find  it 
more  abundant  or  easily  obtainable  upon  one  day 
of  the  week  than  on  another.  Truth  recognizes 
no  special  holiness  in  time  or  place,  regards  no 
era  of  history  as  sacred  or  profane,  holds  no 
peculiar    reverence    for   any    prophet    or    apostle. 

Every  life  is  in  itself  a  voice  of  truth.  We 
need  not  travel  to  India,  Japan,  or  Palestine  in  our 
search  for  wisdom.  There  are  no  sacred  flames 
or  fountains  except  in  our  own  souls.  These  are 
never  uncovered  till  we  are  done  with  all  our  wor- 


1 8  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

ship  of  the  external.  The  inner  voice  speaks 
only  in  the  silence  when  all  other  sounds  are 
hushed. 

When  we  have  recognized  the  ground  whereon 
we  stand  as  holy  ground,  we  are  ready  to  hear  the 
voice  of  the  spirit,  ready  to  drink  of  the  living 
waters  and  to  eat  the  bread  that  cometh  down  from 
Heaven.  Every  man  and  wom.an  is  a  revelation. 
Every  book  is  inspired.  God  is  in  all  things  and 
in  all  places.  Why  should  we  imagine  such 
narrow  limitations  to  Divinity?  Is  not  this  itself,  as 
Kingsley  claimed,  the  only  atheism  —  to  fancy  that 
there  is  but  one  Holy  Land  in  all  the  planet, 
one  inspired  volume,  and  one  Divine  Man  in  all 
the  ages  of  humanity  ? 

There  are  two  lines  of  influence  constantly 
operating  upon  every  life,  of  which  we  are  very 
apt  to  remain  in  ignorance.  One  comes  from 
the  unseen  intelligences  drawn  to  us  by  con- 
genial thought.  These  find  satisfaction  in  our 
atmosphere  through  similarity  of  tastes.  Most 
of  them  are  unknown  to  us  as  individuals.  We 
receive  the  influence  of  their  companionship, 
whether  it  be  spiritual  or  sensual,  and  at  the 
same  time  we  exercise  a  certain  power  over 
them. 

The  other  in^ucnce  is  that  of  our  own  thought 
impulses.  These  we  have  set  in  operation  at  some 
period  far  back,  perhaps  in  former  lives,  and  have 


THE  LOST   TRAIL.  1 9 

not  yet  outgrown  them.  No  mental  weakness  is 
sloughed  ofif,  or  strength  developed,  without  in- 
telligent recognition  of  our  powers  and  fixed 
purpose  of  accomplishment.  The  errors  of  the 
objective  life  must  be  corrected  on  the  objective 
plane, —  just  as  the  note  that  was  drawn  yesterday 
and  made  due  at  a  fixed  date  and  place  must  be 
redeemed,  —  not  in  our  sleep,  but  in  our  waking 
hours. 

If  we  have  indulged  in  avarice,  dishonesty, 
licentiousness,  we  must  doubtless  continue  through 
successive  lives  to  manifest  these  taints  until  they 
have  filled  us  with  disappointment  and  sorrow,  and 
been  finally  conquered  by  the  ascendency  of  larger 
thought  and  more  wholesome  desire.  This  work 
cannot  be  done  in  the  subjective  life.  We  take  up 
our  unfinished  tasks  with  each  new  day.  When 
we  awaken  we  find  them  awaiting  us,  whether  we 
have  slept  well  or  ill — ten  hours  or  one.  We 
do  not  escape  them  by  changing  our  garments. 
Whenever  one  returns  to  earth's  vibrations  he 
moves  on  the  lines  of  least  resistance,  and  responds 
most  readily  to  the  chords  with  which  he  was  most 
familiar  when  he  left.  The  time  since  his  depart- 
ure has  made  no  change  in  his  uncompleted  task. 
He  comes  to  his  own  atmosphere.  He  opens  his 
books  at  the  unfinished  lesson.  These  old  prob- 
lems doubtless  entail  much  suffering  upon  us  when 
we  again  resume  them.     There  is,  perhaps,  better 


20  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 

reason  than  we  have  supposed  for  the  almost 
universal  restlessness  of  infancy  and  the  diseases 
of  early  childhood. 

Of  what  are  these  the  expression  and  the  con- 
sequence if  not  of  causes  dating  back  to  former 
incarnations  ?  If  the  future  is  to  be  the  result  of 
the  present,  as  all  mankind  believes,  why  is  not 
the  present  the  result  of  the  past? 

Before  the  returning  soul  has  got  firm  hold  upon 
its  tool,  the  body,  and  gained  a  clear  understand- 
ing of  its  tasks,  may  it  not  find  itself  uneasy  and 
disturbed? 

When  we  recall  the  distressful  conditions  under 
which  many  die,  and  the  dissatisfied  states  of  mind 
in  which  most  pass  out  of  the  objective  life,  may  it 
not  give  us  a  clue  to  many  of  the  difficulties  of 
our  earliest  years?  The  strong  desire  to  solve 
our  personal  problems,  which  is  the  governing 
purpose  of  every  life,  brings  us  back  to  the  material 
world  sooner  or  later,  according  to  the  strength 
of  the    impulse    within  us. 

The  same  law  manifests  itself  in  what  we  call 
spirit  communication.  We  find  that  most  intelli- 
gences in  their  first  attempts  to  control  "  sensi- 
tives"  or  "  psychics  "  throw  upon  them  the  mental 
and  physical  conditions  under  which  they  passed 
away. 

This  also  is  true  without  regard  to  the  time 
that  has  elapsed  since  death.     The  returning  spirit 


THE  LOST    TRAIL.  21 

is  compelled  to  strike  first  his  old  keynote  in 
matter,  as  a  music-box  starts  at  the  point  at 
which  the  tune  was  broken  off,  when  it  is  wound 
up  to  play  again. 

Until  we  get  accustomed  to  any  particular  situ- 
ation we  do  not  find  much  pleasure  in  it.  This  is 
the  case  in  passing  from  the  astral  to  the  material 
state  at  birth,  and  equally  so  in  passing  into  spirit 
life  —  Death  to  one  condition  is  always  birth  into 
another. 

There  appears  to  be  frequently  a  sense  of  dissat- 
isfaction and  bewilderment  attending  the  change, 
whether  through  mortal  birth  or  death. 

Our  earliest  experiences  upon  either  side  are 
often  disappointing,  distasteful,  and  unreal,  unless 
we  have  learned  the  science  of  spiritual  adjust- 
ment which  must  be  applied  alike  upon  all  planes. 

Metaphysics  without  spiritualism  is  like  Chris- 
tianity without  its  gospels.  Its  principles  cannot 
be  clearly  stated  or  intelligently  employed.  The 
science  of  metaphysics  is  based  upon  the  discovery 
of  man's  spiritual  powers.  For  this  we  are  chiefly 
indebted  to  the  reopening  of  communication  be- 
tween the  seen  and  the  unseen  worlds.  In  these 
latter  years  it  has  been  mainly  due  to  the  sturdy 
and  persistent  efforts  of  the  spiritualists.  It  has 
been  truly  the  discovery  of  a  lost  trail.  The  inves- 
tigations of  phenomena  have  been  made  with  great 
care  and  thoroughness.    Many  of  their  phases  have 


22  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

been  most  indisputably  established  upon  strictly 
scientific  grounds  and  by  men  of  recognized 
authority  in  scientific  circles. 

Spirit  vibrations  are  beyond  the  perception  of 
the  human  eye,  until  their  rate  has  been  reduced 
to  that  of  matter.  As  we  increase  the  psychic 
force  we  raise  vibrations  to  a  higher  speed,  making 
impossible  the  manifestation  to  the  senses. 

Much  of  our  machinery,  like  the  electric  fan,  is 
invisible  in  rapid  motion.  As  we  reduce  the 
power,  and  slow  down,  it  comes  within  the  very 
narrow  range  of  human  vision. 

Communication  between  mortal  and  that  which 
we  call  spirit  requires  often  the  use  of  a  medium, 
who  serves  a  purpose  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  the 
electric  battery  in  the  communications  of  teleg- 
raphy. 

Before  the  circuit  can  be  established,  the  brain 
of  the  psychic  must  be  quickened,  and  that  of  the 
spirit  intelligence  lowered  to  a  point  of  harmony. 

This  is  equally  true  upon  our  usual  planes  of 
life.  We  cannot  really  understand  each  other 
without  some  points  of  mental  contact  through 
currents  of  sympathetic  vibration. 

A  great  hindrance  to  the  highest  spiritual  work 
to-day  is  the  prejudice  and  fear  which  many  enter- 
tain of  spiritualism. 

There  are  metaphysical  teachers  and  healers  who 
stubbornly  refuse  to  recognize  this  source  of  power. 


THE  LOST    TRAIL.  23 

Thus,  they  fail  of  true  accord  with  the  operator  at 
the  other  end  of  the  line.  Their  work,  in  conse- 
quence, is  cramped  and  limited.  The  ultimate 
results  of  such  blind  egotism  are  always  disastrous. 

Many  who  were  once  successful  to  a  marked  de- 
gree have  been  obliged  to  abandon  their  field  of  use- 
fulness because  of  their  persistent  folly  in  denying 
truth  that  was  distasteful  to  them.  It  is  necessary 
that  we  should  be  hospitable  to  the  whole  gospel 
of  good.  There  is  nothing  in  the  universe  to  fear 
and  nothing  of  evil  that  can  do  us  injury  except  as 
we  make  conditions  possible.  There  is  infinitely 
more  awaiting  our  discovery  in  the  mines  of 
spritual  treasure  than  we  have  yet  conceived.  We 
must  dig  deep  for  that  which  is  most  precious. 
The  miner  often  handles  tons  of  rock  in  order  to 
secure  a  few  ounces  of  gold. 

Objection  is  sometimes  made  to  the  claims  of 
spirit  communication,  on  the  ground  that  it  is 
commonplace. 

While  this  is  often  true,  it  is  one  of  the  best  evi- 
dences of  the  reality  of  the  phenomena.  In  the 
ordinary  interchange  of  thought  in  conversation 
and  correspondence,  do  we  find  much  that  is  sub- 
lime? If  we  were  to  break  away  from  all  our 
friends  save  those  who  made  genuine  contributions 
of  real  value  to  our  intellectual  life,  what  isolation 
we  should  suffer !  Is  not  humanity  mostly  defined 
by  "  commonplace  "  ? 


24  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

We  cannot  claim  a  very  high  development  as  yet 
in  our  own  phase  of  existence.  We  have  no  reason 
to  suppose  that  any  very  different  conditions  are 
reached  immediately  by  the  majority  of  those  who 
pass  through  the  change  of  death.  It  does  not 
affect  one's  character  to  leave  off  the  clothes  that 
he  wore  yesterday. 

We  have  no  reason  to  attribute  special  knowl- 
edge or  power  to  one  who  has  dropped  his  robe 
of  flesh ;  nor  have  we  any  reason  in  that  fact  to 
decline  to  recognize  another  whose  spiritual  ad- 
vancement makes  it  possible  for  him  to  render 
valuable  assistance  from  the  astral  plane.  In 
either  case  we  may  be  seriously  at  fault. 

If  we  depend  upon  the  psychic  rather  than  the 
spiritual  faculties  with  which  every  human  being  is 
equipped,  if  we  lean  habitually  upon  mediums 
and  astrologers  as  guides  instead  of  using  our 
own  perceptions,  we  are  like  schoolboys  in  the 
lower  forms  who  think  they  cannot  recite  their 
lessons  without  "  cribs." 

The  scholar  dispenses  with  these  helps.  He 
respects  his  own  intelligence  and  makes  his  own 
researches  while  welcoming  gladly  all  assistance 
that  may  be  rendered  by  those  who  have  the  right 
to  be  called  masters  through  superior  develop- 
ment. 

Love  is  the  principle  of  power.  It  teaches  us 
our  intimate  relations  to  our  fellows.      It  identifies 


THE  LOST    TRAIL.  25 

US  with  the  supreme  life  and  wisdom,  upon  all 
planes  of  existence. 

Love  kills  out  the  sense  of  separateness  from 
that  which  is  above  us  and  below  us  in  the  scale 
of  being.  This  weakness,  upon  which  so  many 
pride  themselves,  is  always  the  mark  of  a  narrow 
intellect  and  an  unloving  nature.  It  shows  a  want 
of  the  culture  it  affects.  If  we  were  not  akin  to 
the  meanest  of  our  fellow-men  we  would  not  find 
ourselves  associated  with  them  in  the  same  school  of 
life.  It  is  possible  we  may  have  advanced  in  certain 
studies  to  a  higher  class  than  some,  but  as  long 
as  the  experiences  of  humanity  are  necessary  to 
us  all  we  have  no  reason  for  exclusiveness.  The 
pride  we  foster  shuts  us  off  from  much  that  would 
be  helpful  to  us.  It  impairs  our  spiritual  circula- 
tion. We  neither  give  nor  receive  in  fulness.  It 
is  a  sacrifice  of  power.  It  brings  a  sense  of  lone- 
liness which  is  its  penalty.  We  are  not  separated 
from  any  life  in  either  the  seen  or  unseen  realms 
to  which  we  are  related  by  a  bond  of  spiritual 
sympathy.  A  true  recognition  of  the  meaning  of 
life  opens  to  every  one  the  gladness  and  freedom 
that  belong  by  the  right  of  eminent  domain  to 
every  human  soul. 

There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  rational  melancholy. 
It  is  a  purely  selfish  impulse.  Service  is  its  sor- 
ereign  remedy. 

The  opportunities  of  life  leave  us  without  excuse 


26  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

for  indolence  or  sadness.  Healthy  lungs  find 
always  inspiration  and  expression  possible  in  an 
invigorating  atmosphere. 

We  know  that  our  supply  of  air  is  inexhaustible, 
and  earth's  latitudes  are  broad  enough  to  give  us 
choice  of  any  climate  we  prefer. 

Each  of  us  makes  his  own  thought  climate, 
and,  if  it  is  not  satisfactory  and  healthful,  we  must 
look  for  the  cause  within  ourselves.  It  is  not  a 
matter  of  locality.  External  conditions  are  always 
the  expression  of  the  inner  cause.  We  will  not 
find  in  the  "  beyond  "  the  balm  we  seek,  for  all 
the  joys  of  heaven  cannot  help  a  discontented  mind. 

True  life  is  unutterable  sweetness,  in  which  all 
the  shadows  of  our  yesterdays  are  woven  into  the 
soft  tints  of  the  morning  sunshine. 

Upon  the  side  of  Mt.  Blanc  there  is  a  little 
patch  of  verdure  called  "Le  jardin."  It  lies  in  the 
midst  of  eternal  snows,  but  in  summer  and  winter 
it  is  always  green. 

In  the  wilds  of  Arabia  are  garden  spots  among 
the  sands.  The  desert  lies  about  them  upon  every 
side —  a  great  wilderness  of  desolation.  The  little 
oases  are  always  fresh  and  beautiful,  with  grace- 
ful palms  and  bubbling  fountains.  Sparkling 
rivulets  trickle  off  among  the  tree  roots,  and  on 
their  borders  are  bright  and  delicate  flowers. 

Amid  the  waves  of  the  Atlantic,  hundreds  of 
leagues    from    any  shore,   are   islands   of  tropical 


THE   LOST    TRAIL.  2/ 

beauty.  Among  their  orange  groves  and  vine- 
yards one  forgets  that  all  about  him  spreads  an 
ocean  that  is  often  swept  with  furious  gales,  and 
breaks  with  savage  violence  on  rocky  shores. 

In  every  life  there  is  a  garden  spot,  however  cold 
and  deep  may  be  the  snows  that  lie  about  it.  In 
the  midst  of  every  desert  there  is  some  oasis  filled 
with  refreshing  fountains. 

In  every  sea  of  trouble  there  is  some  enchanted 
isle. 

We  may  surround  ourselves  in  our  thought  life 
with  fruits  and  flowers  of  rare  loveliness.  We  may 
find  the  springs  of  gladness  bubbling  up  within  the 
soul. 

When  we  have  recovered  the  lost  trail  of  a  spir- 
itual purpose  it  leads  us  out  of  the  shadows  of  the 
passing  day  and  into  the  shine  of  the  eternal 
years. 

We  no  longer  wander  in  uncertain  ways  op- 
pressed with  troubled  thoughts,  for  we  have  found 
the  path  that  leadeth  unto  life. 

In  all  the  time  of  suffering  we  have  never  been 
far  from  the  right  road.  At  any  moment  that 
we  choose  to  yield  to  higher  impulses  we  are 
guided  quickly  to  the  ways  of  peace  and  pleasant- 
ness. The  lines  of  least  resistance  for  the  soul  are 
always  those  of  truth  and  righteousness. 

The  supreme  law  is  supreme  love. 


28  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

Life  is  a  palace  —  not  a  hovel.  It  has  no  doors 
that  shut  out  happiness. 

Life  is  a  banquet  —  not  a  funeral. 

We  find  this  true  when  we  turn  up  the  lights. 

Trouble  is  a  dream  of  sense.  When  we  awaken 
to  real  life  the  shadows  flee  away  and  all  is  well. 


Death     holds    no    terror    for    those    who     have 
learned  the  lesson  of  life. 


THE  LOST   TRAIL.  29 


When  we  have  really  discovered  life's  resources 
we  know  there  is  no  "  better  land "  than  this  in 
which  we  are  unfolding  realization. 

We  do  not  have  to  die  to  escape  suffering. 

We  do  not  escape  suffering  by  dying. 


30  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 


Spiritual  science  is  the  study  of  God  in  man ; 
spirit  expressed  in  matter. 

As  the  sun  to  the  material  world,  so  is  "  Sol"  or 
"  Soul  "  to  the  spiritual. 

God  is  man's  inspiration.  Man  is  God's  expres- 
sion. 

God  is  subjective  man.     Man  is  objective  God. 


CONFIDENCE.  3 1 

II. 

CONFIDENCE. 

"  All  forces  have  been  steadily  employed  to  complete  and 
delight  me. 

Now  on  this  spot  I  stand  with  my  robust  soul."  —  Walt 
Whitman. 

The  shadow  land  of  failure  lies  always  close  to 
the  sun  land  of  success.  Their  provinces  are  curi- 
ously related.  They  interpenetrate  each  other. 
We  cross  the  borderland  unconsciously  and  do 
not  discern  the  lines  of  separation.  We  are  not 
challenged  by  any  sentinels.  We  are  only  drawn 
insensibly  to  our  own  point  of  attraction  for  the 
passing  hour  by  the  magnetic  currents  into  which 
we  have  allowed  ourselves  to  drift.  There  is  noth- 
ing more  dangerous  than  depression  and  discour- 
agement. Their  tides  and  currents  float  us  always 
to  disaster.  When  we  permit  the  winds  to  blow 
from  a  new  quarter  we  find  the  clouds  are  quickly 
scattered.  We  easily  sail  away  from  the  dark 
shores  of  foreboding  and  fear  to  lands  of  beauty 
and  luxuriance. 

The  difference  is  as  great  as  if  we  had  exchanged 
the  Arctic  seas  of  the  North  for  the  aromatic  forests 
of  the  South. 

There  is  as  much  reality  in  our  thought  lati- 
tudes as  in  geographical  limits. 


32  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

When  we  have  perceived  this  truth  we  do 
not  sit  down  shivering  by  the  wayside  to  wait 
for  the  clouds  to  scatter.  We  waste  no  time  in 
sorrowing  over  shattered  ideals,  but  we  boldly 
enter  a  new  thought  land.  What  we  have  failed 
to  discover  in  one  country  of  our  wanderings  we 
diligently  seek  in  another,  until  we  find  our  largest 
hopes  and  longings  satisfied.  It  is  our  spiritual 
geography  that  has  been  at  fault.  What  we  have 
desired  does  exist.  We  shall  discover  it  when  we 
put  aside  the  pettiness  of  personal  caprice  and 
search  with  the  devotion  of  King  Arthur's  knights 
in  their  quest  of  the  Holy  Grail. 

We  can  best  correct  the  imperfections  in  our- 
selves and  others  by  constantly  emphasizing  ideals 
instead  of  punishing  faults.  We  must  hold  stead- 
fastly to  our  confidence  in  better  things  rather  than 
weaken  ourselves  with  thoughts  of  failure. 

Every  life  is  typified  in  the  history  of  the  race. 

The  individual  passes  through  his  barbaric  and 
feudal  ages  and  comes  through  "  renaissance  "  to 
higher  conditions,  until  the  golden  age  is  reached 
at  last  in  his  soul's  development. 

It  has  been  said  that  mortal  life  is  like  a  term 
at  school ;  yet  in  comparison  with  the  greater  life 
of  which  it  is  a  part,  it  can  be  only  as  a  single  hour 
in  the  class-room.  It  is  but  an  incident  in  the 
existence  of  the  immortal  ego  and  can  hardly  reach 
the  dignity  of  an  event.      Do  we   not  greatly  exag- 


CONFIDENCE.  33 

gerate  its  value  and  significance?  Do  we  not 
needlessly  exercise  ourselves  upon  the  sensations 
of  the  hour?  Are  they  really  of  any  greater  con- 
sequence than  the  nursery  games  of  children,  of 
which  in  later  life  they  have  no  recollection?  Why 
should  we  persist  in  breaking  our  hearts  over  experi- 
ences which  are  so  rapidly  fading  out  of  our  horizon 
even  while  we  grieve?  Nothing  in  mortal  life  can 
possibly  arrive  at  the  importance  of  real  tragedy. 

The  deepest  of  our  sufferings  are  only  tracings 
in  the  sands  of  the  seashore,  to  be  erased  by  the 
next  wave  of  time. 

In  this  larger  view  of  life  we  find  all  anguish 
melt  away.  The  tense  conditions  of  our  mind 
which  have  arisen  from  our  ignorant  and  childish 
conceptions  pass.  We  find  peace  in  the  "  Everlast- 
ing Arms"  which  are  enfolding  us,  and  from  which 
we  can  never  fall  away. 

The  birds  are  always  singing  in  our  heavens, 
the  light  is  always  shining,  help  is  always  near, 
and  our  mountains  are  always  full  of  invisible  hosts 
sent  for  our  deliverance  ;  yet  how  often  we  are  deaf 
to  the  melodies  and  blind  to  the  brightness  and 
power  because  our  fears  have  closed  the  avenues 
of  spiritual  perception  !  We  sit  sad  and  comfort- 
less, walled  in  by  our  grief,  while  to  every  word 
of  consolation  we  but  shake  our  heads  and  cry, 
*'  Never  was  sorrow  like  my  sorrow." 

It  is  as  important  to   relax  our  minds  as  it  is  to 


34  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

concentrate  them.  Relaxation  and  concentration 
are  opposite  poles  of  the  same  mental  currents. 
It  is  desirable  that  we  understand  and  alternate 
these  conditions  wisely,  else  we  shall  be  always 
either  tense  or  scattered.  Concentration  is  true 
quietness   rather  than  intensity. 

On  the  stage  of  human  action  we  are  often 
obliged  to  wait  our  call  between  the  parts  assigned 
to  us.  Let  us  learn  to  wait  patiently  and  not  rush 
upon  the  boards  before  our  time,  else  we  will  unfit 
ourselves  through  our  impatience  for  the  playing 
of  our  proper  part  in  the  drama.  We  cannot  miss 
our  cue  if  we  desire  only  to  fulfil  our  opportunities. 
We  should  not  act  until  the  hour  of  action  compels. 
We  should  not  speak  until  the  utterance  is  neces- 
sary. In  the  time  of  action  we  will  find  the  open 
way,  and  in  the  hour  of  speech  there  will  be  no 
lack  of  words. 

If  we  will  learn  to  live  without  haste  we  will 
learn  to  live  without  our  present  urgent  need  of  rest. 

Our  weariness  comes  from  ignorance  of  our 
powers.  We  fear  their  exhaustion  and  suffer 
from  perhaps  unconscious  protest  against  the 
demands  of  our  occupations.  We  hold  the  ex- 
pectation of  reaction  and  fatigue.  Thus  our 
weariness  results  from  mental  friction  of  some 
sort  rather  than  excessive  activity.  All  haste  im- 
plies anxiety  and  fear.  Hurry  is  only  worry  under 
another  name.     It  is  often  indulged  habitually  by 


CONFIDENCE.  3  5 

those  who  would  not  acknowledge  themselves  to 
be  anxious. 

The  minutes  saved  by  hurry  are  as  useless  as 
the  pennies  saved  by  parsimony. 

Economies  of  time  and  money  do  not  feed  a 
full-grown  soul. 

Freedom  expresses  always  and  everywhere  a 
sense  of  ever-present  power  to  command  all 
things.  Success  results  from  confident  demand 
upon  ourselves.  We  fail  because  our  purposes 
are  easily  broken   off. 

When  purpose  and  action  are  in  harmony,  they 
are  like  the  united  movement  of  the  wind  and  tide. 

A  truly  concentrated  life  promptly  rejects  every 
thought  of  past  or  future  that  would  disturb  its 
confidence  in  the  present  hour. 

It  accepts  nothing  that  will  not  feed  its  power. 

When  we  have  planted  a  wheat-field  or  an 
orchard,  and  a  blight  destroys  the  ripening  grain 
or  a  frost  kills  the  fruit,  our  confidence  in  nature 
is  not  weakened,  though  our  labor  has  ended 
fruitlessly.  We  plant  again  and  again  in  confident 
expectation  of  the  harvest.  But  when  we  fail  in 
our  earliest  efforts  to  demonstrate  the  power  of 
thought,  and  disease  still  clings  to  us,  or  the 
opulence  we  have  sought  is  still  delayed,  we  are 
very  apt  to  heed  our  doubts  and  yield  to  our 
despair.  Yet  the  fruit  of  thought  is  as  well  assured 
as  that  of  the  fields. 


36  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

Health  and  prosperity  result  from  our  awaken- 
ing to  consciousness  of  spiritual  power.  Courage 
is  developed  by  necessity  of  action.  When  life  is 
comfortable  we  easily  lose  momentum.  Arrested 
motion  transmutes  energy  into  heat. 

Inflammation,  fever,  and  congestion  are  the 
natural  results  of  interrupted  circulation  in  thought 
hfe. 

As  we  become  aroused  to  the  higher  vibrations 
of  spirit  we  become  indifferent  to  the  lower  vibra- 
tions of  matter,  knowing  we  can  control  them. 

Every  man  is  the  Supreme  Being  of  his  own 
life.  No  good  or  evil  can  come  to  him  except  as 
he  makes  it  possible. 

Distrust  of  himself  is  only  another  form  of  van- 
ity—  a  fear  lest  he  should  not  fulfil  his  personal 
expectation.  It  forgets  the  infinite  power  upon 
which  he  can  draw  at  will.  It  is  as  much  a  fault 
to  fear  a  seeming  weakness  in  ourselves  as  actually 
to  manifest  it  outwardly. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  the  only  debt  we  can 
pay  on  demand  is  what  is  called  the  "  debt  of 
nature,"  and  so  the  weak  man  dies  through  an 
exaggerated  consciousness  of  weakness.  He  fails 
to  perceive  the  strength  that  he  embodies,  which 
would  be  sufftcient  if  properly  directed  to  extri- 
cate him  from  all  his  troubles. 

Our  fears  are  always  premature  and  lead  us  to 
confusion. 


CONFIDENCE.  37 

Resurrection  is  the  awakening  of  force.  It  is 
not  through  dropping  our  material  bodies,  but  by 
obtaining  true  possession  and  control  of  them  that 
we  can  ever  realize  its  meaning. 

When  we  have  attained  to  spiritual  realization 
our  bank  bills  will  be  to  us  of  no  more  value  or 
significance  than  bits  of  paper.  Deeds  and  stock 
certificates  will  be  as  worthless  as  old  rags. 

Opulence  within  will  certainly  express  itself  in 
opulence  without.  Spiritual  power  is  creative  and 
dominates  all  tilings.  It  is  not  dependent  upon 
strong  boxes  filled  with  fanciful  "  securities."  When 
once  it  has  been  recognized  and  put  in  motion  it 
is  always  the  master  and  never  the  slave  of  its 
material  possessions. 

The  inexhaustible  energies  of  nature  are  at 
our  service  when  we  have  learned  to  make  a 
confident  demand  upon  them.  We  do  not  need 
so  much  to  study  the  conservation  of  our  forces 
and  resources  as  the  power  we  possess  of  prompt 
renewal.  Every  so-called  "  law "  in  science 
is  manifested  under  prescribed  conditions.  If 
the  conditions  are  changed  there  is  a  diff"erent 
result  in  action,  and  one  law  is  transcended  by 
another. 

He  who  governs  the  conditions  is  the  lawmaker. 
Thus  every  man  becomes  a  law  unto  himself. 
The  science  of  metaphysics  is  a  study  of  adjust- 
ment.    It  is   an   application  of  common  sense  to 


38  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

practical  affairs,  with  confidence  that  we  can  regu- 
late our  mental  attitude  toward  persons  and  events. 
There  is  in  it  no  element  of  mystery.  It  does  not 
require  anything  but  the  simplest  intellectual  effort 
upon  natural  lines. 

Pessimism  is  like  a  derelict  wreck  at  sea.  It 
drifts  without  a  helmsman,  at  the  mercy  of  every 
wind  and  tide.  Submerged  below  the  water  line, 
it  is  a  menace  to  every  brave  mariner  who  spreads 
his  sails  to  the  breeze,  and  hangs  his  signal  lights 
aloft.  It  is  an  obstruction  to  navigation  and  a 
danger  to  every  craft  that  floats  in  the  same  sea. 
It  rolls  in  the  trough  of  the  ocean  a  water-logged 
and  lifeless  thing  against  which  all  seamen  must 
be  warned. 

We  are  often  so  bewildered  by  false  theories  on 
one  hand  and  false  practices  on  the  other  that  our 
lives  are  complicated  and  ensnared.  But  if  we 
are  polarized  in  purpose  we  will  be  balanced  for 
action. 

The  magnetic  needle  does  not  struggle  to  reach 
the  north. 

It  is  so  well  adjusted  that  the  electric  currents 
of  the  earth  and  air  in  their  steady  flow  will  swing 
it  always  toward  the  pole.  When  it  vacillates 
through  any  temporary  distraction  they  will  bring 
it  surely  and  speedily  into  line  again  with  their  per- 
sistent forces.  There  is  no  danger  that  it  will  mis- 
take the  points  of  the  compass.      Upon  the  stability 


CONFIDENCE.  39 

of  this  magnetic  law  we  venture  fearlessly  with  our 
fleets  and  navies  into  unknown  waters.  May  we 
not  have  the  same  confidence  in  the  soul's  per- 
ceptions? 

Why  is  our  guiding  principle  so  often  deflected 
in  life's  voyage?  Every  wrong  thought  tends 
to  depolarize  it.  Every  hour  of  indulgence  in 
false  purpose  or  emotion  turns  it  from  its  lode- 
star. Impatience  and  selfishness  of  every  kind 
obstruct  the  equable  flow  of  spiritual  currents 
through  the  individual   life. 

Every  doubt  and  fear  operates  to  scatter  them. 

Absolute  confidence  in  the  eternal  wisdom, 
love,  and  power  of  life  is  necessary  to  clear  seeing 
and  right   doing. 

We  are  impatient  at  every  difficulty  and  turn 
the  highest  stimulus  of  life  into  an  occasion  for 
self-pity  and  discouragement.  We  treat  adver- 
sity as  an  enemy  when  it  is  our  truest  friend.  It 
is  a  demonstration  of  the  accurate  operation 
of  the  laws  of  cause  and  consequence.  If  we 
analyze  intelligently  we  will  always  find  a  rare 
gem  of  truth  imbedded  in  our  stoniest  ex- 
periences. 

If  we  do  not  quickly  agree  with  our  adversity 
it  casts  us  into  the  prison  of  doubt,  from  which 
we  never  emerge  till  we  have  paid  the  uttermost 
farthing.  Nor  could  the  soul  wish  us  to  go  free 
till  we  had   learned   to    rightly   interpret   the    law 


40  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

from  which  we  suffered.  Pain  is  persistent  energy. 
It  is  the  manifestation  of  hfe. 

All  our  suffering  comes  from  battles  with  our- 
selves. After  we  have  been  sufficiently  bruised 
and  beaten  by  the  conditions  we  have  attracted, 
we  begin  to  understand  the  Heedlessness  of  strife. 

When  we  are  willing  to  feed  upon  the  husks  of 
our  emotions  and  sensations  we  must  not  complain 
of  the  pangs  of  starvation. 

True  life  deals  with  causes  rather  than  effects. 
It  does  not  concern  itself  with  shadows.  It  is  not 
interested  in  appearances,  nor  does  it  question  how 
it  looks  to  the  outsider.  It  desires  only  right 
results.  It  recognizes  that  the  shadow  is  illusive 
and  misleading,  and  employs  itself  in  the  mould- 
ing of  the  substance  that  throws  the  shadow.  It 
does  not  dwell  on  negative  conditions,  but  on  posi- 
tive forces.  In  our  reaction  from  the  old  insist- 
ence upon  "  doing"  we  emphasize  the  value  of  the 
silence  in  which  we  study  being.  But  there  are 
perils  in  the  calm  as  well  as  in  the  storm.  We 
must  be  careful  that  we  do  not  lose  our  steerage 
way.  No  philosophy  can  be  really  good  which 
leads  to  helplessness  and  inactivity. 

The  largest  life  expresses  itself  in  largest  action. 
Spiritual  wisdom  improves  its  purpose  and  method 
without  reducing  its  activities.  Real  growth  never 
results  in  indolence. 

Let  us  roll  the  drum  and  sound  the  buefle  note 


CONFIDENCE.  4 1 

as  loud  and  clear  as  possible.  But  the  cheer  of 
the  living  hero  daring  all  things  in  the  charge 
is  more  inspiring  than  any  sound  of  drum  or 
bugle.  Is  it  not  better  to  march  shoulder  to 
shoulder  in  the  column  and  keep  step  to  the 
grand  music  of  life  that  leads  us  forward  than  to 
be  stragglers  and  grumblers  in  the  rear?  Is  it  not 
better  to  embody  the  faith  that  we  profess  and 
manifest  it  in  our  daily  living  than  to  show  our 
ingenuity  in  criticism  and  our  eloquence  in  com- 
plaints. 

We  think,  perhaps,  that  we  love  music,  and  find 
mathematics  distasteful.  We  respond  readily  to 
sentimental  appeals,  but  are  reluctant  to  meet  the 
homely  duties  that  demand  our  daily  care.  In 
reality  music  and  mathematics  are  but  different 
expressions  of  the  same  law. 

Were  it  not  for  the  accurate  variation  in  the 
vibrations  of  notes  and  fixed  counts  in  the  rests 
musical  chords  would  be  impossible.  Mathematics 
is  a  spiritual  science  —  music  is  its  rhythmic 
expression  appealing  to  the  emotional  nature  as 
Euclid's  propositions  appeal  to  the  reason.  Each 
is  reducible  to  the  terms  of  the  other  as  sound 
and  color,  differentiated  only  by  the  number  of 
their  vibrations  through  which  they  reach  the 
different  senses  in  their  different  development. 

It  is  difficult  to  say  which  is  the  greater  marvel 
to  the  human  mind,  the  diversity,  or  unity  of  life. 


42  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST   TRAIL, 

The  science  of  thought  is  the  music  of  life's 
mathematical  problems.  It  is  the  fresh  grouping 
of  the  notes  and  rests,  enabling  us  to  strike  new 
chords. 

The  question  of  harmony  or  discord'  in  any  event 
concerning  us  is  governed  wholly  by  our  point 
of  view.  Art  and  science  are  dependent  upon 
careful  measurements  as  well  as  on  the  inspiration 
of  genius. 

The  simplest  task,  the  smallest  duty  which  falls 
to  us,  are  equally  important  as  the  heroic  deed. 
The  plainest  speech  and  action  are  sometimes  the 
most  essentially  heroic.  In  life's  drama  the  play 
that  goes  on  behind  the  scenes  is  often  more  beau- 
tiful than  that  performed  before  the  footlights  to 
the  music  of  the  orchestra  and  the  applause  of  an 
admiring  public. 

If  we  cannot  immediately  provide  for  those  we 
love  all  that  we  would  wish  in  material  advantages 
we  can  at  least  fulfil  their  higher  good  by  holding 
them  in  the  kingdom  of  mind  in  which  we  rule  in 
the  thought  of  opulence  and  health  and  right- 
eousness. Such  thoughts  bring  their  fruit  as  well 
as  the  labor  of  the  hands.  We  need  not  drag 
our  dear  ones  down  with  us  into  dungeons  of 
fear.  Fear  results  from  unaccustomed  situa- 
tions, and  the  failure  to  apply  our  principles  with 
confidence  that  they  are  sufficient  to  solve  all 
problems. 


CONFIDENCE.  43 

We  can  no  longer  indulge  our  apprehensions 
when  we  have  come  to  understanding. 

We  are  always  under  the  protection  of  the  uni- 
versal law. 

It  transmutes  every  experience  into  good,  and 
our  most  painful  hours  "  may  be  turned  to  beauti- 
ful results."  We  cannot  gauge  life  rightly  by  our 
sensations  of  comfort  and  discomfort,  except  to 
understand  that  all  discomfort  reveals  our  needs. 
If  the  hand  or  foot  were  to  concentrate  its  sensi- 
bilities upon  itself  with  fear  that  it  were  too  remote 
from  the  heart  or  head  to  share  in  their  energies 
and  watchful  care  the  circulation  of  the  arterial 
system  would  be  immediately  disturbed. 

We  know  that  any  pain  in  hand  or  foot  is  in- 
stantly telegraphed  to  the  brain,  and  the  great 
central  organ  of  the  heart  responds  without  delay 
to  every  unusual  demand. 

Can  we  not  have  equal  confidence  in  the  great 
heart  and  head  of  Being  —  the  principle  that  we 
call  God? 

It  is  more  difficult  to  fall  than  to  stand,  for  all  the 
laws  of  gravitation  and  mechanics  combine  to  hold 
us  on  our  feet.  There  is  an  intelligent  power  be- 
hind every  one  that  is  more  interested  in  his  pres- 
ervation than  he  is  himself,  because  it  has  a  better 
understanding  of  his  value  and  a  purpose  in  ex- 
pressing its  own  life  through  his. 

Life  continually  seeks  expression,  and  places  a 
high  value  upon  every  opportunity. 


44  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 

If  we  could  once  realize  the  wisdom  of  the  spirit 
that  guides  us  and  the  force  which  protects  us  we 
could  never  again  harbor  a  fear.  All  our  anxie- 
ties are  trivial  in  view  of  the  infinite  provision  for 
our  needs. 

It  is  at  the  point  at  which  we  seem  to  stand 
alone  in  our  trouble,  and  darkness  shuts  down 
about  us,  that  the  real  test  comes.  We  are  face  to 
face  with  the  question,  "  Does  law  govern  in  my 
life  or  am  I  left  to  chance?  Is  the  power  I  have 
thought  supreme  indifferent  or  helpless  in  this  hour 
of  pressing  need?  Shall  I  listen  to  the  voice  of 
the  senses  and  curse  God  and  die?" 

Yet  how  quickly  could  all  our  difficulties  be 
relieved  from  the  inexhaustible  resources  of  an 
infinite  mind  !  How  promptly  could  our  vitality 
be  quickened  by  the  creative  power  we  call  life  ! 

How  very   small    are    our    pecuniary  wants    in 
comparison  with  the  boundless  wealth  about  us  ! 
How  easily  could  our   heart    hunger   be  satisfied 
with    some    small     fragments     from     the    feast    of 
Love  ! 

But  the  misgivings  linger  —  fears  of  disease,  of 
poverty,  of  loneliness.  The  soul  refuses  to  feed 
upon  crusts  and  will  not  be  satisfied  with  anything 
partial  and  incomplete.  So  it  is  shut  out  from 
everything  but  the  springs  within  itself,  and  at 
length  in  our  extremity  we  dig  for  these  hidden 
waters. 


CONFIDENCE.  45 

It  is  in  our  night  of  agony  in  the  garden  that  our 
angels  appear.  They  have  never  been  absent  from 
our  side,  but  sorrow  rends  the  veil  from  our  eyes 
and  discloses  the  presence  of  our  celestial  helpers. 

We  find  our  dangers  have  been  exaggerated 
because  we  were  unconscious  of  our  unseen  allies. 
All  our  fears  have  vanished  with  the  night.  Joy 
and  confidence  have  come  with  the  dawn. 

There  is  no  doubt  that,  sooner  or  later,  every  one 
can  accomplish  his  desires  if  he  will  hold  to  them 
with  an  unvarying  and  persistent  confidence.  But 
as  we  move  forward  we  discover  better  things  than 
those  we  sought.  We  are  like  mountain  travellers 
discerning  always  higher  peaks  beyond  the  eleva- 
tions they  have  reached,  and  which  could  not  be 
seen  from  the  lower  levels. 

We  come  but  slowly  to  the  recognition  of  our 
opportunities. 

The  largest  attainments  are  not  possible  while 
we  paralyze  ourselves  with  doubt  of  our  abilities. 
"  I  can  do  all  things  "  is  the  voice  of  the  higher 
consciousness. 

Incredulity  is  not  the  sign  of  a  superior  intelli- 
gence. Faith  is  scientific  and  not  superstitious. 
It  is  the  result  of  large  experience  and  knowledge. 
Its  scope  rightly  measures  the  intelligence  of  its 
possessor. 

A  pessimistic  and  sceptical  tone  is  the  expres- 
sion of  a  narrow  mind  and  limited  experience. 


46  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAll.. 

Atheism  is  a  disease — a  superstition.  The 
atheist  is  a  bigot  of  the  crudest  type.  He  is  usu- 
ally a  fanatic  of  the  violent  order.  Fanaticism 
grows  always  upon  thin  soil. 

It  is  the  ignorant  mind  that  is  suspicious.  The 
possibilities  of  life  arc  far  beyond  the  present  range 
of  our  discoveries,  and  every  step  of  progress  opens 
a  grander  horizon. 

When  the  young  bird  first  leaves  its  nest  it  can 
only  cling  to  the  bough  on  which  the  nest  is  built. 
It  begins  to  stretch  its  wings,  but  has  not  learned 
its  power  to  master  the  force  of  gravitation.  A  little 
later  and  the  nest  and  bough  arc  left  behind.  The 
bird  has  flown  beyond  the  clouds.  It  has  acquired 
the  science  of  motion  and  command  of  its  wings. 
It  has  gained  freedom  through  its  fearlessness. 

When  we  have  learned  that  we  can  do  a  thing, 
not  because  it  is  simple  and  easy  in  itself,  but 
because  we  are  strong  enough  to  do  it,  the  action 
is  a  delight  and  not  an  effort. 

When  we  are  confident  of  victory  the  home 
stretch  is  a  pleasant  one,  and  the  winning  post  an 
easy  goal. 

We  sometimes  fancy  we  would  like  to  get  done 
with  life. 

Such  moments  of  weariness  and  weakness  come 
at  times  to  most  of  us.  Yet  for  every  human  life 
that  passes  out  of  the  objective  phase,  there  are 
thousands   seeking    eagerly  to    enter,  knowing  as 


CONFIDENCE.  47 

they  do  that  the  mortal  has  a  rare  and  privileged 
opportunity  of  gaining  that  which  is  not  otherwise 
attainable. 

If  we  could  only  see  our  daily  trials  as  they  will 
appear  to  us  a  little  farther  on  the  road,  we  would 
greet  them  with  a  buoyant  and  boisterous  welcome 
instead  of  cowering  and  groaning  with  alarm. 

Does  trouble  challenge  us  to  walk  with  it  a 
mile?     Fearlessly  let  us  go  with  it  twain. 

Does  it  rudely  snatch  away  our  cloak?  Let  us 
offer  it  our  coat  also.  We  will  never  meet  in  life 
a  trial  that  can  halt  us  on  the  highway  like  a 
robber  and  compel  us  to  throw  up  our  hands 
unless  we  choose  to  ignore  our  power  and  yield  to 
a  force  that,  in  the  nature  of  things,  must  always 
be  inferior  to  ourselves. 

We  are  not  dying  of  starvation  but  of  over- 
feeding. Life  is  an  embarrassment  of  riches. 
Our  illnesses  show  that  we  have  not  been  denied, 
but  allowed  too  much  indulgence  of  our  follies. 
We  have  not  selected  our  food  wisely.  We  do 
not  need  to  suffer  from  impoverishment  in  any 
direction  if  we  are  ready  to  choose  that  which 
ministers  to  our  growth. 

Life  is  not  so  cruel  as  to  give  us  mouths  we 
cannot  feed  or  passions  we  cannot  control.  Nor 
does  it  develop  aspirations  that  we  cannot  satisfy. 
Increasing  strength  of  appetite  develops  corre- 
sponding power  of  government. 


48  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

Hunger  quickens  our  perceptions  and  leads  us 
to  nature's  storehouses.  Aspiration  furnishes  us 
pinions  upon  which  we  wing  our  way  to  paradise. 

Every  ideal  can  be  made  practical  as  soon  it 
is  distinctly  defined,  for  the  power  to  image  and 
to  execute  are  one  and  the  same  thing. 

There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  false  hope  related 
to  the  individual  himself.  Our  hope  may  be  im- 
perfect, but  when  we  have  developed  it  into  an 
intelligent  purpose  it  has  already  entered  upon  ful- 
filment. We  can  sometimes  judge  of  the  character 
and  value  of  the  work  awaiting  us  by  the  severity 
of  the  experiences  we  have  passed  in  preparation 
for  it.  Are  we  suffering  to-day?  It  is  that  we  may 
have  the  wisdom  needful  for  some  suffering  one 
whom  we  may  help  to-morrow. 

After  the  baptism  of  sorrow  comes  the  baptism 
of  consolation.  We  must  learn  to  let  go  of  the 
good  things  in  order  to  arrive  at  better  things,  as 
the  tree  lets  go  its  buds  that  they  may  ripen  into 
blossoms,  and  lets  go  the  blossoms  that  the  fruit 
may  come. 

Instead  of  indulging  the  thought  "  this  is  very 
trying,"  we  should  remind  ourselves  "  this  is  my 
test  and  I  am  glad  to  prove  my  strength  or  dis- 
cover my  weakness."  We  need  to  detach  our- 
selves from  any  difficult  situation  —  to  look  at  it 
apart  from  personal  considerations  —  to  stand  out- 
side   ourselves  and    view    the  question   quite   dis- 


CONFIDENCE.  49 

passionately,  as  though  it  concerned  another  and 
were  a  matter  of  indifference  to  us,  to  put  aside 
the  present  suffering  with  the  assurance  that  there 
is  balm  in  Gilead  and  the  pain  will  quickly  pass. 

Our  best  work  is  often  struck  out  in  the  white 
heat  of  suffering,  and  there  comes  a  time  when 
the  soul  understands  that  its  choicest  fruit  is 
ripened  on  the  tree  of  knowledge  which  grows  in 
the  garden  of  sorrow. 


Experience  deals  us  just  the  blows  we  need  to 
teach  us  equilibrium. 


5©  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 


The  life  of  every  day  would  be  a  pleasure  if  we 
would  permit  ourselves  to  thoroughly  enjoy  the 
work  in  hand. 


CONFIDENCE.  5 1 


Disease  and  misfortune  result  from  habits  of 
mind. 

We  cannot  have  a  sickly  body  or  environment 
without  a  sickly  thought  behind  it. 

Our  mental  attitude  to-day  determines  our 
success  to-morrow. 


52  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 


Specific  gravity  governs  in  our  affairs  as  truly  as 
in  material  science. 

It  carries  us  promptly  to  the  plane  to  which  our 
confident  or  anxious  thoughts  relate  us. 

The  force  we  waste  upon  our  fears  is  all  that 
would  be  necessary  for  the  achievement  of  ou-r 
purpose. 


TOILING  IN  ROWING.  53 

III. 

TOILING    IN    ROWING. 

And  he  saw  them  tofhng  in  rowing,  for  the  wind  was  con- 
trary unto  them.  — Mark  6,  48. 

What  hard  work  we  make  of  living !  How  we 
labor  at  the  oar  in  our  efforts  to  be  practical  and 
to  avoid  the  charges  of  idealism  and  credulity ! 

In  the  twilight  of  Galilee  the  fishermen  were 
toiling  when  Jesus  came  to  them  walking  upon  the 
waters.  No  toiling  in  rowing  for  him  —  for  even 
the  winds  and  waves  obeyed  him  —  this  superb 
idealist.  Why  should  not  such  a  man  sleep  in 
the  midst  of  the  storm,  knowing  he  could  walk 
upon  the  waters  !  Yet  the  only  difference  between 
the  disciple  and  the  Master  was  in  the  larger  rec- 
ognition of  the  force  which  was  possessed  by  both. 
It  was  latent  in  the  one  and  active  in  the  other. 

It  is  easy  for  us  to  imagine  that  we  must  furnish 
the  motive  power  of  life. 

We  are  slow  to  realize  that  while  it  is  for  us  to 
decide  in  what  direction  we  shall  move,  it  is  the 
universal  energy  that  drives  us  forward. 

The  winds  and  waters  never  fail  to  serve  us  when 
we  recognize  ourselves  as  rulers.  There  is  no  gale 
that  can  blow  hard  enough  to  drive  us  off  our 
course. 


54  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

There  are  no  billows  high  enough  to  wreck  or 
drown  us. 

All  seas  are  buoyant  to  the  undaunted  soul. 

To  destroy  the  sense  of  fear,  we  need  to  culti- 
vate the  sense  of  mastery.  Self-control  is  our  first 
lesson,  and  in  learning  this  we  acquire  the  power 
to  put  all  things  under  our  feet.  Absolute  dotnui- 
ioti  is  the  destiny  of  man. 

The  path  is  found  in  the  humblest  walks  —  the 
most  common  occupations  of  our  human  life. 
Nothing  can  keep  us  from  it  when  the  soul  has 
made  its  choice.  Our  daily  trials  are  our  prepara- 
tion, and  these  are  often  as  severe  as  the  beds  of 
burning  coals  the  Eastern  aspirant  is  compelled  to 
tread  before  he  is  accepted  as  a  novitiate  in  mystic 
orders. 

The  idealist  is  not  usually  a  man  of  affairs.  He 
is  apt  to  be  a  very  faulty  mathematician.  Never- 
theless the  real  purpose  of  life  is  to  measure 
business  by  the  golden  rule  —  to  manifest  in  all 
our  dealings  with  each  other  a  love  that  is  not 
foolish,  and  an  enlightened  selfishness  not  unlov- 
ing—  to  find  a  way  in  which  the  devil  shall  not 
take  the  hindmost,  nor  each  man  stand  for  him- 
self alone. 

Life  is  a  constructive  force ;  it  does  not  wish 
to  feed  upon  us.  There  is  no  malignant  fate  pur- 
suing us ;  there  is  no  power  in  the  universe  which 
dooms  us  to  disaster  and  compels  defeat. 


TOILING  IN  ROWING.  55 

Every  energy  of  life  is  pledged  to  the  ultimate 
success  of  every  individual,  to  the  accomplishment 
of  his  purposes,  wise  or  foolish,  if  he  has  learned 
the  value  of  decision,  of  persistence,  and  of  con- 
centrated will.  The  heat  of  the  blow-pipe  will 
quickly  melt  the  hardest  substance  upon  which  it 
is  steadily  focussed.  The  lenses  of  the  telescope 
serve  only  for  the  concentration  of  the  rays  of 
light  and  bring  into  our  field  of  vision  stars  from 
which  we  are  separated  by  inconceivable  distances. 

When  we  chain  the  wheels  of  our  chariots  they 
drag  heavily. 

With  doubts  and  fears  we  dissipate  our  energies 
and  clip  the  wings  of  Spirit. 

If  we  listen  with  a  mournful  mind  life  seems  to 
us  a  wail  of  sorrow.  We  do  not  hear  the  swell- 
ing undertone  of  love.  When  we  are  done  with 
our  complaints  all  voices  become  melodious. 

Truth  does  not  require  emphasis.  We  state  a 
mathematical  proposition  quietly. 

We  do  not  find  gesture  necessary  in  teaching 
history  or  reciting  facts  of  which  we  have  no  doubt. 

We  are  indifferent  to  all  scepticism  regarding 
our  financial  credit  when  we  know  it  to  be  sound. 
Why  should  we  ever  be  disturbed  because  our 
friends  do  not  agree  with  our  philosophies? 

"He  who  knows  does  not  talk ; 
He  who  talks  does  not  know." 


56  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

If  in  the  human  chorus  any  voice  sings  out  of 
tune  it  is  all  the  more  necessary  that  we  should 
keep  to  the  score. 

When  we  are  distressed  at  the  discords  of  those 
who  are  dear  to  us  let  us  know  that  in  the  silence 
we  can  reach  the  higher  self  even  while  the  per- 
sonal is  resentful  and  estranged. 

The  castle  may  be  unapproachable,  with  moated 
walls  and  drawbridge  raised,  but  a  little  bird  can 
enter  at  its  highest  turret  window,  flying  across  the 
moat  and  above  the  closed  portcullis.  So  can  a 
loving  thought  wing  itself  where  no  word  would  be 
admitted,  and  where  the  lower  nature  has  been 
barricaded  by  selfishness  and  prejudice. 

All  work  of  spiritual  enlightenment  is  done 
upon  the  higher  planes  of  the  superconscious  self. 
There  is  no  stronghold  tenable  against  the  silent 
influence  of  thought.  Spirit  is  never  limited  by 
time  or  circumstance. 

When  we  are  tried  by  those  we  love  we  can 
learn  the  ministry  of  angels  and  be  to  them  like 
an  arisen  spirit  which  in  its  larger  vision  should 
sufl"er  no  disturbance  of  grief  or  doubt. 

It  sees  beyond  the  mortal  day  and  turns 
from  that  which  is  temporary  to  that  which  is 
eternal. 

It  pierces  the  shadows  of  the  night  with  spiritual 
vision  and  sees  the  dawning  light.  It  has  more 
than  hope :     it    has    the    certainty    of    knowledge. 


TOILING   IN  ROWING.  57 

It  waits  without  impatience  for  the  hour  when 
the  mortal  shall  recognize  its  higher  self  and  be- 
come obedient  to  its  voice.  The  soul  may  be 
bewildered  in  the  sensual  life,  but  it  can  never 
be  really  enslaved.  It  may  be  mired  in  the  low- 
lands, but  it  is  only  travelling  its  spiral  of  experi- 
ence and  will  some  day  come  to  higher  grounds. 
Its  wings  will  not  be  always  folded. 

"  Though  ye  have  lain  among  the  pots,  yet  shall 
ye  be  as  the  wings  of  a  dove  covered  with  silver 
and  her  feathers  with  yellow  gold." 

All  life  is  gospel.  The  air  is  full  of  messages  of 
good. 

Humanity  needs  only  to  be  instructed  to  re- 
ceive and  give. 

The  secrets  of  existence  are  not  to  be  found  by 
laborious  seeking,  but  by  willingness  to  learn  and 
readiness  to  apply  them. 

Life  opens  unto  all  at  every  moment  the  high- 
est good  we  can  appropriate. 

The  soul  always  knows  the  road  to  truth  when 
it  is  ready  to  set  out  upon  its  journey,  but  we 
must  first  clear  up  our  heavy  atmospheres  laden 
with  resentment  and  depression. 

If  in  places  the  path  seems  steep  we  know  it  is 
leading  more  directly  to  the  summit. 

When  our  self-contention  ceases  we  find  our- 
selves at  peace  with  all  the  world.  It  is  only  then 
that  we  can  trust  our  judgment  in  the  affairs  of 


58  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

life.  When  thought  is  purified  it  draws  to  itseh 
all  things  and  persons  necessary  to  the  solution  of 
its  problems. 

Peace  is  not  a  stagnant  pool :  it  is  a  deep-flow- 
ing river. 

Life  always  vindicates  its  equities  without  our 
anxious  care.  Our  interference  is  often  an  imper- 
tinence. Events  are  not  hastened  to  satisfy  our 
impatience.  Justice  is  a  universal  element.  It 
always  includes  mercy,  even  when  we  see  only 
the  action  of  what  appears  to  be  inexorable  fate. 
The  vexatious  questions  of  to-day  can  be  better 
understood  if  we  will  take  them  out  of  their  pres- 
ent setting  of  time  and  circumstance  and  view 
them  from  an  impersonal  standpoint.  They  will 
look  very  different  against  a  background  of  fifty 
years.  Time  will  dwarf  them  to  their  true  propor- 
tions. A  change  of  venue  will  assist  us  to  more 
just  and  impartial  conclusions  and  divest  them  of 
the  false  lights  thrown  upon  them  by  vexation  and 
annoyance. 

We  cannot  handle  malarial  fever  to  advantage 
in  the  swamps  in  which  it  was  contracted.  If  we 
remove  the  patient  to  higher  ground  where  he  can 
have  pure  air  and  water  the  crisis  is  safely  met, 
and  convalescence  is  assured.  If  we  raise  our 
personal  and  political  contentions  out  of  the 
swamps  of  feeling  in  which  they  have  been  devel- 
oped, we  will  often  be  surprised  to  find  the  ease 


TOILING  IN  ROWING.  59 

with  which  the  difficulties  solve  themselves.  Our 
relations  are  needlessly  complicated  by  selfish- 
ness and  obstinacy.  If  we  will  divest  ourselves 
of  petty  pride  we  will  perceive  more  clearly  the 
responsibilities  involved  and  find  a  quick  adjust- 
ment practical. 

When  one's  head  is  under  water  he  cannot  hear 
what  is  spoken  in  the  air.  These  two  elements  of 
different  density  have  different  vibrations.  Spirit- 
ual utterances  cannot  reach  the  ears  of  those  who 
live  wholly  in  the  sensual  life.  They  cannot  per- 
ceive vibrations  of  the  spiritual  ether.  Revelation 
is  an  opening  of  our  inner  vision  rather  than  an 
addition  to  our  knowledge  from  without.  It  is  only 
when  the  plant  has  unfolded  in  the  air  and  sunlight 
that  its  beautiful  mysteries  of  form  and  color  stand 
revealed.  One  knows  but  little  of  the  true  life  of 
the  body  until  he  has  begun  to  learn  the  secrets 
of  the  soul. 

When  an  athlete  desires  to  lift  a  heavy  weight 
he  finds  that  he  needs  something  more  than  muscle 
and  confidence  in  its  power.  He  must  learn  to 
apply  the  muscle  with  intelligence,  to  get  the  right 
grip  upon  the  object  he  wishes  to  raise.  The 
wrestler  cannot  throw  his  opponent  until  he  has 
grappled  him  in  the  right  place  ;  he  sometimes  gets 
this  hold  by  yielding  and  letting  go. 

In  the  difficulties  which  present  themselves  to 
every  one  it  is  of  the  greatest  value  that  we  should 


6o  DISCOVERY  OF  A  LOST    TRAIL. 

learn  the  lesson  of  adjustment.  When  we  have 
got  the  right  grip  we  can  readily  lift  any  weight 
that  is  ours  to  lift.  We  can  throw  any  difficulty 
with  which  we  have  to  wrestle.  It  is,  however, 
important  that  we  should  not  mistake  our  antago- 
nist and  waste  our  strength  upon  questions  that  do 
not  belong  to  us  to  settle,  or  weights  we  need  not 
raise  to-day.  All  our  work  should  be  approached 
with  the  glad  confidence  of  the  sturdy  athlete. 

We  will  have  no  occasion  to  complain  of  use- 
lessness  and  weakness  if  we  do  not  scatter  in  trivial 
things  the  powers  that  are  abundantly  sufficient  for 
any  legitimate  demands.  The  most  powerful  elec- 
tric current  if  not  carefully  insulated  will  be  dis- 
persed by  the  induction  of  neighboring  wires  and 
fail  of  the  work  for  which  it  was  intended. 

The  clouds  which  gather  in  our  heavens  are 
often  created  by  our  own  ingenious  imagination, 
thickened  and  obscured  by  a  doubtful  mind.  We 
think  it  is  trouble  that  weakens  and  exhausts  us, 
and  makes  us  grow  gray  and  old.  If  this  be 
true,  it  is  because  we  have  not  understood  trouble 
and  used  it  wisely.  What  we  call  trouble  is  really 
a  stimulant  and  rejuvenator.  It  is  the  apparatus 
in  life's  gymnasium  which  serves  to  develop  skill 
and  muscle,  and  burns  up  tissues  which  may 
be  perpetually  renewed.  It  is  a  fundamental 
rule  of  physical  culture  that  exercise  should  be 
continued  till  the   muscles  ache  and   cry  for  rest. 


TOILING  IN  ROWING.  6 1 

The  work  should  be  increased  as  rapidly  as  new 
strength  will  permit.  We  are  too  easily  cowed  by 
suffering,  and  quick  to  whine  at  all  discomforts. 
But  the  measure  of  our  difficulties  is  the  gauge  of 
our  necessities,  and  we  should  never  turn  away 
from  discipline  with  rueful  faces. 

It  is  not  by  any  means  the  people  who  have  had 
the  greatest  trouble  that  grow  old  the  fastest. 
If  trouble  serves  to  arouse  the  higher  powers  of 
the  soul  it  results  in  a  sense  of  independence 
and  mastery  which  brings  strength  and  youth. 

We  should  find  every  problem  welcome  and 
every  fresh  experience  proportioned  to  the  power 
gained  by  former  difficulties.  The  divine  energy 
that  we  embody  will  not  let  us  rest  in  inactivity 
and  stagnation.  We  must  climb  to  every  throne 
that  we  would  occupy  as  we  grow  continually  to 
larger  recognition  of  our  right  to  govern.  We 
dig  in  many  a  field  for  the  pearl  of  great  price. 
The  digging  should  bring  us  pleasure  and  profit 
quite  as  much  as  that  we  get  from  contemplation 
of  the  pearl  itself.  Life  will  not  set  us  any  task 
beyond  our  strength,  nor  will  it  ever  demand  of 
us  bricks  without  straw. 

We  find  no  reason  for  unhappiness  when  we  dis- 
miss our  apprehensions.  We  are  too  often  over- 
confident in  expectation  of  disaster.  We  are  too 
sanguine  of  defeat.  We  overestimate  our  incapac- 
ity.    We  are  too  sure  of  failure. 


62  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

When  we  hear  suggestions  of  some  pleasing 
possibility  we  think  it  "  too  good  to  be  true." 
When  disappointment  comes  to  us  it  is  "just  what 
we  might  have  expected." 

Troubles  are  friendly  tramps.  We  need  not 
deal  angrily  with  them  and  set  the  dogs  on  them, 
for  if  we  treat  them  kindly  they  will  show  us  many 
things  we  need  to  know,  and  cheerfully  go  on  their 
way  leaving  blessings  and  not  curses  behind  them. 

Sooner  or  later  life  will  give  us  all  we  want,  and 
wc  will  find  severer  lessons  in  satiety  than  in 
poverty. 

Every  truth  that  we  encounter  adds  to  our  un- 
happiness  until  it  has  been  accepted  and  embodied 
in  our  life. 

A  fruitful  cause  of  dissatisfaction  and  unrest  is 
an  abnormal  desire  to  please  others.  This  often 
springs  from  personal  and  selfish  motives  unsus- 
pected by  the  sufferer.  He  strives  in  vain  to  gain 
the  satisfaction  of  recognized  service  and  is  met 
by  coldness  and  indifference.  If  such  an  one  would 
give  up  his  subserviency,  abandon  his  unwelcome 
efforts,  and  train  himself  to  the  indifference  from 
which  he  suffers  in  others  he  would  soon  get  sat- 
isfactory results. 

We  need  to  guard  ourselves  even  in  loving  min- 
istry against  the  sacrifice  of  individuality.  It  is 
indispensable  to  a  true  life  to  think  from  its  own 
centres.     It  is  not  always  wise   to  force  ourselves 


TOILING  IN  ROWING.  63 

to  look  at  matters  from  the  standpoint  of  another. 
We  sometimes  sacrifice  our  judgment  to  affection. 
This  can  bring  no  good  to  ourselves  or  others.  As 
one  develops  individuality  he  is  very  sure  to  be 
misunderstood  by  his  domestic  circle. 

Strong  individuality  is  like  a  statue  carved  in 
stone  which  shows  fine  outlines  and  proportions  on 
its  pedestal,  but  looks  extremely  coarse  when 
placed  upon  the  ground.  We  need  the  softening 
effects  of  time  and  distance  to  enable  us  to  judge 
correctly  of  a  rugged  human  character.  Its  lines 
do  not  seem  delicate  when  closely  viewed,  but  a 
greater  refinement  would  probably  weaken  it  for 
its  peculiar  work. 

The  pedestal  of  some  special  occasion  raises  it 
beyond  our  criticism  and  brings  out,  in  grand  re- 
lief, strong  points  that  were,  perhaps,  offensive  to 
us  within  narrower  limits. 

True  individuality  is  never  selfish.  When  we 
understand  our  real  relations  to  the  universe  of 
which  we  are  a  part,  we  open  ourselves  fearlessly 
upon  all  sides.  Our  desire  is  to  yield  in  matters 
of  mere  preference.  We  know  that  giving  is  as 
necessary  as  getting  in  maintaining  perfect  circu- 
lation. Selfishness  is  congestive.  It  contracts 
and  shrivels  all  the  nature ;  but  much  yielding 
and  giving  is,  in  reality,  more  selfish  than  with- 
holding and  denying,  and  demands  less  force  of 
character. 


64  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

Eagerness  in  getting  health  or  pleasure  some- 
times shuts  out  the  good  that  is  crowding  con- 
stantly upon  us.  We  are  often  as  selfish  in  the 
indulgence  of  another's  eagerness  as  in  our  own. 
Nature  is  a  wonderfully  careful  mother,  and  makes 
the  way  of  the  transgressor  hard.  It  is  no  kindness 
to  try  to  make  it  easy.  If  one  wastes  his  fortune 
recklessly  he  gains  in  exchange  the  wisdom  of  ex- 
perience, which  is  perhaps  worth  more  than  what 
has  been  flung  away. 

Nature  relieves  the  fevered  senses  of  the  profli- 
gate with  a  dash  of  the  cold  water  of  adversity,  and 
arouses  him  from  iiis  intoxication  and  bewilderment. 

Then  comes  the  headache  of  remorse  —  the 
moan  of  disappointment,  the  idle  question  "  Is  life 
worth  living?" — which  springs  only  from  unhap- 
piness.  Life  means  far  more  than  the  successful 
conduct  of  our  petty  personal  affairs  or  maintenance 
of  a  conventional  respectability. 

Our  higher  self  has  other  aims  for  us  than  find- 
ing an  ageeeable  climate  and  an  indolent  existence. 
It  arouses  us  with  the  sharp  strokes  of  the  alarm 
clock  of  some  sudden  discomfort.  It  compels  us 
to  go  out  into  the  cold  and  darkness  of  misfor- 
tune or  disease  and  so  move  on  to  new  activi- 
ties. Our  days  are  filled  with  the  sense  of  failure, 
and  in  the  night  vexation  and  regret  surge  in  upon 
us  like  chilling  winter  tides.  We  feel  the  darkness 
overpowering.     A  bottomless   pit  yawns   beneath 


TOILING  IN  ROWING.  65 

US,  All  remembrance  of  past  joys  is  swallowed  up 
in  a  midnight  horror,  and  we  hear  only  the  echo  of 
the  words  in  our  minds'  corridors  "  He  descended 
into  hell."     Heaven  seems  forever  inaccessible. 

Truly  the  shadows  of  the  valley  of  humiliation 
are  deeper  and  blacker  than  those  of  the  valley  of 
death.  But  the  experience  of  these  dark  places 
seems  necessary  to  us  all. 

Much  of  our  dissatisfaction  in  life  is  due  to  the 
fact  that  we  are  not  good  judges  of  the  fruit  that 
grows  on  the  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  garden  —  the 
tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  We  do 
not  recognize  the  times  of  ripeness.  We  are  mis- 
led by  appearances  and  easily  mistake  the  day  of 
growing  for  the  day  of  gathering. 

We  are  premature  in  our  expectations  and  feel 
vexed  and  mortified  to  find  only  leaves  where  we 
have  looked  for  fruit  —  not  knowing  that  "  the 
time  of  fruit  is  not  yet."  It  is  idle  to  fret  at 
immaturity  either  in  ourselves  or  others.  Ages 
are  required  to  perfect  the  animal  man,  and  ages 
more  to  make  him  master  of  the  universe.  We 
do  not  realize  how  usefully  we  are  related  to  the 
environment  in  which  we  find  ourselves.  If  it  be 
distasteful  we  can  see  in  it  no  good.  We  do  not 
understand  how  much  we  need  the  things  that 
come  to  us,  and  which  often  are  reluctantly  re- 
ceived. We  sigh  for  solitude  while  getting  our 
best  stimulus  from  those  about  us. 


66  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

Every  human  being  radiates  magnetic  and  elec- 
tric currents,  and  receives  from  others  similar 
radiations  of  nervous  energy.  Society  provides 
us  with  something  more  than  opportunities  of 
pleasant  conversation.  It  relieves  us  of  surplus 
force  which  might  react  uncomfortably  upon  our- 
selves. It  restores  to  us  the  subtle  elements  we 
most  require.  We  are  instinctively  drawn  to  the 
surroundings  we  need,  and  which  enable  nature  to 
maintain  in  us  her  equilibrium. 

Plants  feed  on  the  carbonic  oxide  thrown  off  by 
human  lungs.  They  purify  the  atmosphere  for 
the  further  use  of  man,  while  at  the  same  time 
emitting  fragrance  which  is  soothing  and  delightful. 
Each  thus  ministers  to  the  other.  This  principle 
pervades  all  life,  and  manifests  itself  in  marvellous 
ways  to  students  of  natural  science. 

When  we  come  to  a  closer  analysis  of  what  we  call 
vibration  we  shall  find  that  everything  has  a  more 
extended  scale  than  we  now  realize. 

Nature  has  different  vibratory  rates  which  will 
appeal  to  all  the  senses  when  our  soul  perceptions 
are  more  fully  awakened. 

We  now  sec  color  and  hear  sound.  Other  things 
we  taste,  smell,  or  touch  without  hearing  and  often 
without  seeing  them. 

If  our  senses  were  perfected  they  would  all  be 
cognizant  of  everything  in  the  objective  life. 

We  would    then   perceive   not   only  with  one  or 


TOILING  IN  ROWING.  67 

two  or  three  of  the  five  senses  while  the  others 
were  inactive.  We  would  discover  in  everything 
some  quality  that  touched  a  responsive  chord  in 
each.  We  would  easily  distinguish  the  movements 
of  colors  and  sound-waves,  taste  their  flavors  and 
sense  their  touch.  We  would  hear  the  harmonies 
of  the  flower-beds,  the  chantings  of  the  ferns  and 
forests.  We  would  see  the  exquisite  tints  of  musi- 
cal chords,  and  at  the  same  time  enjoy  their  deli- 
cate odors.  We  would  understand  the  variations 
of  individual  character  from  the  symphonies  of 
color  radiated  by  the  thought  life.  Laboratory 
experiments  sometimes  disclose  rare  dyes  and 
fragrance  where  we  had  not  supposed  them  to 
exist.  A  change  of  temperature  in  the  crucible 
will  develop  strange  forms  and  properties.  The 
more  advanced  unfoldment  of  humanity  must 
doubtless  open  new  avenues  of  sensation.  The 
spirit  of  man  is  all-seeing,  all-hearing,  all-per- 
ceiving ;  its  intelligence  is  far  beyond  the  present 
capacity  of  the  senses  to  express. 

These  are  imperfect  avenues  or  points  of  contact 
between  the  material  and  astral  realms,  in  both  of 
which  man  functions. 

Complete  consciousness  of  both  these  planes, 
and  intelligent  direction  of  the  will  in  all  of  his 
activities,  is  man's  great  problem  on  this  planet. 

Stand  with  me  on  an  October  day  upon  some 
high   peak   of  the  Rocky  Mountain  range.       We 


68  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

are  in  the  midst  of  one  of  Nature's  grandest 
amphitheatres.  Encircling  us  are  mountain-tops 
that  are  crowned  with  eternal  snows. 

Below  us  lies  the  timber  line  marked  with  dark 
forests  of  pine,  spruce,  and  cypress.  Farther  down 
the  mountain-side  are  groves  of  beech  and  aspen 
brilliant  with  the  glory  of  the  burning  bush,  while 
at  a  lower  level  are  green  meadows  with  the  silvery 
threads  of  mountain  streams  woven  in  and  out 
between  the  lines  of  hills. 

Above  this  panorama  hangs  a  canopy  of  deep 
blue  sky  mottled  here  and  there  with  the  cumulus 
clouds  and  fleecy  drifts  of  an  autumn  afternoon. 

A  little  later  we  may  see  this  spectacle,  illumi- 
nated by  a  harvest  moon  throwing  its  mysterious 
light  over  the  snow  crystals,  forests,  and  meadows. 

We  call  to  mind  the  strains  of  the  old  prophets: 

"  Then  shall  the  trees  of  the  wood  sing  out." 

"The  valleys  shout;   they  also  sing." 

"  When  the  morning  stars  sang  together  and  all 
the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy." 

If  our  cars  were  truly  open  now  what  glorious 
anthems  we  might  hear !  What  a  marvellous 
diapason  ranging  from  the  snow-top  of  the  moun- 
tain to  the  herbage  of  the  valley  !  Then  would  life 
appear  indeed  to  us  a  song  of  power  and  gladness. 

If  we  wish  to  train  our  voices  to  sing  true  we 
must  not  listen  so  much  to  discords. 

We    must   drop    our    habits    of   criticism.     We 


TOILING  IN  ROWING.  69 

must  look  for  the  sweet  things  in  Hfe  and  not  the 
sour.     We  must  gather  flowers  instead  of  nettles. 

When  one  lives  a  grand,  strong  life  we  are  not 
greatly  disturbed  that  he  is  uninformed  in  any 
special  field  of  knowledge,  or  even  wholly  illiterate 
and  ignorant.  His  character  in  itself  is  a  bene- 
diction which  soothes,  instructs,  and  stimulates  us 
through  the  power  of  love. 

And  when  another  is  endowed  with  all  that 
makes  a  teacher  great,  except  the  personal  demon- 
stration of  the  truth  he  teaches,  shall  we  not  forget 
his  personality  and  value  that  of  which  he  is  the 
voice?  We  learn  from  one  the  proposition  of  a 
principle,  and  in  another  we  see  the  demonstration. 
We  cannot  well  dispense  with  either,  though  per- 
haps we  often  find  them  separated.  The  fact  that 
one  proclaims  a  truth  shows  some  appreciation  of 
high  standards,  even  though  the  teacher  himself, 
limps  painfully  in  his  effort  to  follow  them. 

Truth  is  impersonal,  and  we  can  well  afford  to 
be  indifferent  to  the  channels  through  which  it 
comes.  If  the  postal  service  is  efficient  we  do  not 
quarrel  with  its  employees,  whatever  may  be  their 
reputation. 

We  are  not  troubled  because  the  pearl  is  found 
in  a  diseased  oyster.  It  is  a  precious  gem.  We 
do  not  remember  that  ambergris  is  a  morbid  secre- 
tion derived  from  the  bile  of  the  whale.  It  is  a 
rare  fragrance. 


70  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

When  we  are  less  fastidious  in  our  demands,  we 
will  become  more  rapid  learners.  In  mining  for 
precious  metals  it  does  not  disturb  us  to  find  the 
marks  of  the  soil  upon  our  working  clothes  and  on 
those  of  our  fellow-laborers.  If  we  really  seek  the 
pearl  of  price  we  will  be  indifferent  as  to  where  we 
find  it.  Let  us  outgrow  at  the  same  time  our  hero- 
worship  and  censoriousness.  They  are  alike  un- 
worthy of  us.  Each  of  us  has  enough  to  do  in 
solving  his  own  problems  without  looking  over  the 
shoulders  of  his  neighbors  to  see  how  they  are 
handling  theirs. 

Again,  if  we  are  to  forgive  our  erring  brother 
seventy  times  seven,  shall  we  not  extend  the  same 
consideration  to  ourselves,  who  possibly  need  it 
oftener? 

Our  greatest  grief  and  discouragement  in  life 
is  in  the  consciousness  that  we  have  not  lived 
up  to  our  ideals.  Constant  self-chiding  is  in- 
tolerable. It  depresses  one  to  the  point  of  help- 
lessness. 

Let  us  give  to  ourselves  the  cheerful  and  tireless 
encouragement  in  the  face  of  failure  which  we 
would  give  another  in  whose  purpose  and  success 
we  had  entire  confidence. 

When  we  listen  to  the  skilled  players  in  an 
orchestra  and  our  souls  seem  lifted  up  on  waves 
of  harmony  it  is  hard  to  realize  that  every  one  of 
those  musicians  has  struggled  through  many  weary 


TOILING   IN  ROWING.  7 1 

hours  and  months  of  discord  in  the  development 
of  his  artistic  talent. 

When  we  suffer  from  interior  discord  we  need 
to  hold  with  unflinching  confidence  to  the  belief  in 
the  power  of  the  soul  to  bring  us  ultimately  the 
knowledge  and  peace  of  the  Divine  harmonies. 

It  is  not  sufficient  to  tune  a  single  string  of  the 
violin  or  one  key  of  the  piano.  The  entire  instru- 
ment must  be  brought  to  concert  pitch  before  the 
full  power  and  beauty  of  its  tone  can  be  expressed. 

But  let  us  enjoy  and  not  quarrel  with  the  tuning 
process  in  thought  of  the  grand  chords  which  we 
are  making  possible. 

Discord  destroys  an  instrument  that  will  not 
yield  itself  to  harmony.  Nature  will  not  tolerate 
an  instrument  it  cannot  tune.  The  whole  phil- 
osophy of  mental  healing  lies  in  the  recovery  of 
a  lost  chord.  The  operation  of  this  principle  is 
shown  in  the  domestic  circle  and  community. 
Discord  disintegrates.  It  is  a  centrifugal  force. 
Harmony  is  centripetal  and  blends.  The  home  or 
nation  that  does  not  develop  harmony  within 
itself  cannot  be  long  maintained.  Life  hews  to 
the  line,  regardless  of  where  the  chips  may  fall. 
Its  standard  is  perfection.  It  will  recognize  no 
other  law  in  any  of  its  kingdoms  than  the  survival 
of  the  fittest.  Extinction  is  the  penalty  of  dis- 
obedience. 

Some  of  us  live  in  prisons  of  fear.     These  are 


72  DISCOVERY   OF  A  LOST    TRAIL. 

the  true  torture  chambers  of  the  Inquisition.  Fear 
is  the  grand  inquisitor  who  appHes  to  us  continu- 
ally the  rack,  the  thumbscrew,  and  the  firebrand. 

Some  of  us  abide  in  cemeteries  amid  the  tombs 
of  memory,  and  are  continually  bringing  garlands 
to  the  graves  of  our  dead  past.  Some  of  us  are 
cave-dwellers  living  on  the  lowest  planes  of  animal 
existence  and  in  the  jungles  of  a  merely  sensual  life. 

But  to  all  of  us  come  the  voices  of  the  spirit 
bidding  us  come  out  of  our  mental  prisons,  out 
of  our  chambers  of  horror,  out  of  our  caves  and 
dungeons,  into  the  glad  freedom  of  true  life,  to 
leave  the  fever  districts  of  the  plains  and  climb  the 
mountain-side,  to  leave  the  shadows  of  the  valley 
and  seek  the  sunlight  of  the  hills,  to  leave  the 
stagnant  waters  and  come  to  living  fountains. 

Thus  shall  we  indeed  "  go  out  with  joy  and  be 
led  forth  with  peace  while  the  mountains  and  the 
hills  break  forth  before  us  into  singing  and  all  the 
trees  of  the  field  shall  clap  their  hands." 


An  intuitional  nature  that  violates  its  spiritual 
impulses  renders  itself  peculiarly  liable  to  disease 
and  suffering. 


TOILING   IN  ROWING.  73 


At  the  point  of  discouragement  we  are  often 
nearest  accomplishment. 

If  we  weather  this  cape  we  find  the  storm  is 
over  and  the  port  in  sight. 


74  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 


It  is  a  scattering  and  waste  of  force  to  lament 
and  criticize  what  we  cannot  help. 


PATIENCE.  75 

IV. 

PATIENCE. 

Everything  must  be  taken  genially,  and  we  must  be  at  the 
top  of  our  condition  to  understand  anything  rightly. 

—  Emerson. 

The  most  unhappy  man  in  the  world  is  he  that  is  not 
patient  in  adversity,  for  men  are  not  killed  with  the  adversity 
they  have  to  bear,  but  with  the  impatience  which  they  suffer. 
—  Ckas.  Bailly,  1571. 

More  than  three  hundred  years  ago  these  words 
that  we  have  quoted  of  Charles  Bailly's  were  cut  by 
him  into  the  walls  of  his  cell,  in  London  Tower, 
where  he  was  confined  as  a  political  offender, 
awaiting  death.  Here  is  mental  science,  pure  and 
simple,  in  a  grander  memorial  inscription  than  is 
carved  upon  the  walls  of  any  church  or  temple  of 
our  day.  How  little  the  prisoner  thought,  as  he 
patiently  scratched  these  lines  upon  the  stones 
of  his  dungeon,  that  three  centuries  afterward  a 
new  world  would  awaken  to  their  truth  and  make 
it  the  cornerstone  of  metaphysics  ! 

We  have  been  so  long  accustomed  to  thinking 
of  ourselves  as  the  helpless  victims  of  heredity 
and  circumstance  that  when  we  begin  to  realize 
we  are  only  the  victims  of  our  own  impatient  and 


'jd  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

ignorant  will,  we  enter  indeed  upon  a  new  psy- 
chology. 

How  dififerent  a  landscape  looks  when  ap- 
proached from  a  new  point  of  view  !  So  changed 
that  in  returning  over  a  road  which  we  passed  for 
the  first  time  but  an  hour  before,  we  scarcely 
recognize  it  as  one  we  have  travelled.  Every  field 
and  tree,  every  curve  and  angle,  presents  itself 
in  an  entirely  new  relation  to  the  whole. 

So  in  our  view  of  any  truth :  when  we  have 
changed  its  setting  we  get  a  different  perspec- 
live. 

In  the  attainment  of  spiritual  freedom  we  are 
loosed  at  the  same  time  from  fear  and  desire.  It 
is  either  the  fear  or  the  desire  of  change  that  pro- 
duces our  discomfort.  It  is  this  that  compels  the 
passage  of  the  soul  from  the  objective  to  the  sub- 
jective life  through  death,  and  brings  it  again  from 
the  subjective  to  the  objective  existence  at  birth. 

Before  we  can  control  and  overcome  all  fixity 
of  condition,  and  be  able  to  enter  and  abide  with 
equal  ease  and  pleasure  upon  any  plane,  we  must 
not  only  complete  the  education  of  the  will,  but 
must  acquire  perfect  satisfaction  through  a  larger 
knowledge  of  life's  meaning,  and  a  larger  confi- 
dence in  its  purposes. 

The  new  term  of  "  polarization  "  and  the  old  terra 
of  "atonement"  mean  one  and  the  same  thing; 
the    harmonizing    of   man's  personal    and    mortal 


PATIENCE.  J  J 

nature  with  his  impersonal  and  spiritual  self;  the 
bringing  of  every  thought  into  ready  subjection 
to  the  higher  impulse.  This  is  self-government  by 
the  immortal  ego  —  the  finding  of  the  Christ 
within. 

If  we  understand  that  Supreme  love  never  fail- 
eth,  we  know  that  its  unwavering  desire  is  for  our 
highest  good.  This  remains  true  whether  we 
define  our  ideal  as  a  personal  God,  as  absolute 
law,  or  as  the  potent  and  individual  ego  related  to 
the  infinite  whole. 

Its  constant  action  is  for  the  establishment  of 
equilibrium. 

It  is  as  plainly  seen  in  the  life  of  man  as  in 
the  earthquake  and  the  tornado.  All  phenomena 
are  the  expressions  of  this  law  of  equilibrium.  All 
the  strangeness  of  human  fate  is  equally  a  mani- 
festation of  the  same  power  in  human  life.  Pride 
must  have  its  fall  as  surely  as  a  tree  that  has 
grown  top-heavy.  Every  virtue  becomes  a  vice  in 
its  extremity  and  reacts  with  the  ultimate  result  of 
greater  symmetry  of  character. 

It  is  very  evident  in  all  the  work  of  modern 
healing  that  the  vital  principle  effects  a  change  of 
the  impatient  and  discouraged  thought. 

A  conviction  is  aroused  that  health  is  possible 
and  probable. 

It  may  come  to  the  mind  through  faith  in  the 
Virgin  Mary  or  some  of  the  saints  of  the  church, 


78  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

through  faith  in  prayer,  in  a  hypnotic  operator,  or 
in  the  assurances  of  Christian  Science  and  meta- 
physics. 

Healers  of  diverse  theories  and  hostile  camps  are 
equally  successful  in  their  application  of  thought 
principles,  and  the  faith  of  cither  the  healer  or  the 
healed  is  the  principle  always  present. 

If  one  school  can  fairly  claim  that  its  theories 
are  justified  by  works,  so  can  they  all,  though  they 
be  aliens  and  heretics  to  one  another,  and  their 
definitions  and  methods  radically  differ.  In  all  of 
them  we  find  the  common  factor  —  faith  —  pro- 
ducing expectation  of  health,  and  changing  mental 
conditions  from  negative  to  positive.  It  seems  to 
make  no  difference  in  the  results  whether  the  faith 
is  focused  on  an  amulet,  a  shrine,  a  person,  or  a 
book. 

The  healing  principle  is  a  positive  thought,  and 
anything  that  can  arouse  this  to  vigorous  action 
will  obtain  results.  The  spirit  which  is  behind 
every  life  and  seeking  continually  larger  expe- 
rience in  its  human  form  is  positive  in  character 
and  pure  in  purpose,  however  imperfect  may  be 
its  manifestation. 

Sooner  or  later  the  human  soul  will  recognize 
the  truth  of  its  divine  origin  and  guidance.  Noth- 
ing is  gained  by  forcing  its  development.  It  must 
be  educated  to  choose  righteousness  for  itself. 

With  growth  of  knowledge  comes  right  choice ; 


PA  TIENCE. 


79 


for  no  one  will  deliberately  invest  his  energies  in 
lines  that  lead  to  bankruptcy. 

With  choice  comes  power  of  accomplishment. 
All  life  tends  to  progress,  and  every  power  in  the 
universe  is  aiming  to  secure  the  best  results  for  all. 
In  the  perfected  truth  we  find  the  seed.  Within 
the  seed  we  find  the  essence  and  the  promise  of 
the  fruit.  Seed  and  fruit  are  inseparably  united. 
Together  they  complete  the  circle  of  being,  though 
the  arc  lines  of  development  are  often  immeasur- 
able to  human  observation. 

It  is  doubtful,  after  all,  if  the  metaphysical  or 
religious  healer  is  often  anything  more  than  the 
doctor's  boy  who  carries  around  the  medicine-case 
and  delivers  the  prescription  prepared  by  wiser 
intelligences  in  the  unseen. 

May  it  not  be  true  that  such  greater  ones  some- 
times discern  the  needs  of  our  humanity  better 
than  we,  provide  the  healing  power,  and  bring  to- 
gether the  healer  and  the  sufTerer  —  indifferent  to 
the  label  of  the  cure  ?  It  flatters  our  petty  vanities 
to  believe  that  "  we  are  the  people,  and  wisdom 
shall  die  with  us."  But  how  shall  we  explain  the 
good  work  that  is  done  by  those  who  have  no  sym- 
pathy in  our  peculiar  views?  Does  it  not  appear 
that  there  is  sometimes  but  small  relation  between 
theory  and  practice,  and  there  may  be  other  ele- 
ments in  life  than  those  that  we  have  catalogued 
in  our  intellectual  laboratories.     Perhaps  many  are 


8o  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 

fitting  themselves  to  be  the  real  healers  of  the 
future,  while  now  only  playing  doctor,  and  dis- 
tributing the  remedies  arranged  by  others. 

But  there  is  abundant  reason  for  confidence  in 
those  others,  and  we  need  never  distrust  their  wis- 
dom and  skill  in  any  case  to  which  they  summon 
us  as  helpers,  if  we  are  really  working  on  the 
highest  lines. 

It  is  not  necessary  that  healer  or  patient  should 
be  sensible  of  the  effect  of  any  particular  treat- 
ment. The  finer  forces  of  nature  do  not  appeal  to 
the  senses.  The}'  work  below  the  surface  of  life 
and  develop  plant  growth  in  darkened  cells  beneath 
the  ground.  All  our  forces  are  spiritual.  The 
senses  are  only  organs  or  tools  through  which  we 
come  in  touch  with  matter.  They  are  like  the 
duplex  wires  of  telegraphy  over  which  we  send 
and  receive  soul  messages  on  the  objective  plane. 
We  should  never  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  it  is  the 
soul  that  stands  at  the  transmitter  and  receiver, 
and  at  all  times  is  the  operator.  It  is  the  soul 
that  sees,  hears,  feels,  tastes,  and  smells.  If  any 
defect  appear  in  the  instrument  or  any  obstruc- 
tion in  the  circuit  we  must  call  upon  the  soul 
to  repair  the  damage  and  to  remove  the  difficulty. 
Its  resources  of  intelligence  and  power  are  always 
equal  to  the  task.  It  can  summon  all  necessary 
aid.  It  is  its  business  to  maintain  an  equilibrium 
of  forces,  that  inspiration  and  expression  may 
compensate  each  other  always. 


PATIENCE.  8 1 

The  fountain  of  life  is  perennial.  It  is  im- 
possible to  choke  the  spring.  Through  all  the 
overlying  rubbish  that  our  passions  and  sen- 
suality have  heaped  upon  it  it  still  bubbles  up 
and  makes  for  itself  an  open  channel,  whether  in 
the  rock  or  marsh-lands.  Ever  will  its  waters  find 
the  sea,  refreshing  every  pasture  through  which 
they  flow. 

As  the  spiritual  principle  gains  ascendency  the 
objective  life  is  permeated  more  and  more  by  the 
subjective.  Life  shows  more  of  inspiration  and 
less  of  trance  conditions.  We  require  less  sleep 
and  a  lessened  degree  of  torpor  in  the  night  hours, 
while  our  different  mental  states  approach  each 
other.  Our  minds  are  more  active  in  repose  and 
more  tranquil  in  activity. 

Highly  developed  spiritual  natures  scarcely  re- 
quire the  refreshment  of  unconscious  sleep.  The 
range  of  spiritual  activity  is  widened  and  less  inter- 
rupted as  the  two  conditions  blend.  We  will  ulti- 
mately find  the  positive  force  of  spiritual  will 
asserting  itself  over  all  negative  states. 

When  one  is  wakeful  at  night  he  is  impatient  in 
his  restlessness  and  struggles  for  sleep. 

If  he  would  only  accept  the  insomnia  with  cheer- 
fulness it  would  bring  no  bad  results,  and  would 
the  sooner  pass  away. 

Insomnia  often  opens  the  doors  of  a  spiritual 
night  school,  in  which  we   may  obtain  many  a  val- 


82  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

uablc  revelation  if  wc  will  only  listen  patiently. 
In  our  activities  of  the  day  our  spiritual  faculties 
are  often  dulled.  In  the  quiet  hours  of  the  night 
the  subjective  side  of  nature  is  presented  to  us 
with  many  lessons  that  are  well  worth  the  hours 
of  wakefulness  they  cost,  for  they  bring  spiritual 
tonics  with  them  more  refreshing  than  the  ordi- 
nary slumbers. 

If  we  are  not  responsible  for  the  thoughts  that 
pass  our  doors  we  are  at  least  responsible  for  those 
that  we  admit  and  entertain. 

Every  hour  of  true  thought  holds  the  entire 
nature  to  its  keynote  and  silently  works  its  good 
even  in  unconsciousness.  Every  hour  of  wrong 
thinking  brings  disintegration  and  confusion. 
These  healing  or  hurtful  processes  are  in  continu- 
ous operation.  Sooner  or  later  they  will  manifest 
results  in  the  external,  in  both  body  and  sur- 
roundings. 

No  one  is  shut  out  from  the  tuneful  melodies  of 
life  except  by  his  own  choice.  Wherever  his  lot  is 
cast  he  is  within  the  province  of  harmonious  law. 

Many  suffer  from  excessive  culture  and  refine- 
ment. They  lack  sinew  and  fibre  and  have  forgot- 
ten the  meaning  of  the  words  "robust"  and 
"  stalwart."  They  are  sickly,  sensational,  and  sen- 
timental. It  is  a  secret  gratification  to  believe 
their  symptoms  are  so  delicate  and  subtle  as  to 
baffle  the  physicians  and  be  classed  as  "  peculiar" 


PATIENCE.  83 

and  "unusual."  Their  real  difficulty  is  selfishness, 
though  such  a  diagnosis  would  sound  coarse  and 
offensive  to  their  sensitive  ears.  They  need  the 
bitter  tonics  of  honest  truth,  but  prefer  the  sweets 
that  have  already  cloyed  their  stomachs  and  ob- 
structed their  digestion.  A  good,  sound  mental 
shock  would  bring  them  to  a  rallying-point  and 
be  of  greater  benefit  than  an  electric  current  or  a 
change  of  climate.  Adversity  would  often  prove 
their  very  best  friend. 

Nervous  prostration  is  not  a  common  disease 
among  the  poorer  classes.  It  is  a  luxury  beyond 
their  purse,  like  grand  opera  or  foreign  travel.  It 
belongs  peculiarly  to  those  whom  Emerson  de- 
scribes as  having  gone  to  sleep  upon  the  cushion 
of  advantages,  and  has  lately  been  named  "  ner- 
vous prosperity." 

The  arousing  of  the  soul  is  an  infallible  remedy. 

We  often  complain  severely  of  others,  to  con- 
ceal our  dissatisfaction  with  ourselves. 

It  is  usually  ourselves  that  we  are  secretly  up- 
braiding while  condemning  others,  and  if  our 
peace  of  mind  could  be  restored  we  would  find 
but  little  difficulty  in  approving  or  excusing  those 
in  whom  we  have  found  the  greatest  fault. 

We  may  cheerfully  note  it  as  a  sign  of  progress 
when  we  have  got  beyond  the  point  of  wishing  to 
defend  ourselves. 

When  we  have  admitted  our  own  responsibility 


84  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

for  a  fault  we  have  taken  the  first  step  toward  its 
correction  and  brushed  aside  many  difficulties 
from  our  path. 

The  faults  we  criticise  are  usually  our  own, 
though  we  may  imagine  ourselves  particularly 
exempt  from  them.  The  breach  in  our  own  in- 
trenchments  is  generally  at  the  point  at  which  we 
most  quickly  perceive  the  weakness  of  others. 

The  old  French  proverb  is  universally  true  — 
"Whosoever  excuses  himself  accuses  himself." 
We  are  not  easily  sensitive  to  accusations  we  know 
to  be  false. 

Let  us  be  willing  to  be  misunderstood,  to  be 
even  silenced  in  an  argument,  rather  than  insist  to 
the  point  of  irritation  and  prolong  dispute. 

Why  should  we  care  to  maintain  our  position  so 
tenaciously  and  explain  our  personal  views? 

Truth  does  not  need  us  for  her  champion.  She 
is  no  weakling  and  is  indifferent  to  our  espousal  of 
her  cause. 

Our  only  real  concern  should  be  to  stand  right 
in  the  opinion  and  judgment  of  our  own  soul. 

Let  no  word  be  spoken  in  the  home  that  we 
would  wish  recalled  when  we  look  into  the  grave 
of  any  of  our  loved  ones.  The  bitterness  of  such 
a  recollection  in  that  hour  adds  unutterable  anguish 
to  bereavement. 

We  may  be  very  sure  that  we  can  paint  no 
daub  upon  the  canvas  of  our  life  which  our  own 


PATIENCE.  85 

eyes  will  not  have  to  contemplate  some  day  from 
the  standpoint  of  a  higher  knowledge  of  the  har- 
mony of  color  and  the  art  of  living.  We  must 
suffer  keenly  from  this  post-mortem  study  and 
toil  painfully  till  we  have  painted  out  the  sad  dis- 
coloring and  worked  our  highest  standards  into 
the  living  canvas. 

There  will  come  a  time  to  all  of  us  when  every 
unkind  word  and  every  cruel  thought  will  be  a 
sounding  echo  in  the  corridors  of  memory,  where 
every  selfish  soul  shall  walk  alone  and  desolate, 
unable  to  shut  out  the  voices  of  its  past,  which 
bring  to  it  a  more  exquisite  torture  than  was  ever 
pictured  in  the  hells  of  Dante's  "  Purgatorio." 

Patience  and  indifference  are  of  the  greatest 
value  in  the  correction  of  disturbed  conditions. 
We  know  that  mental  exaltation  will  render  one 
insensible  to  pain,  and  many  seek  and  apply  it  as 
they  would  an  opiate.  But  while  it  may  be  tem- 
porarily useful  it  has  secondary  effects  that  leave 
conditions  of  unrest.  It  is  equally  true  in  meta- 
physics as  in  physics  that  "  action  and  reaction 
are  equal  and  in  opposite  directions." 

The  almost  inevitable  consequence  of  times  of 
"  uplifting  "  is  a  most  serious  downfalling.  The 
mental  pendulum  swings  back  to  its  completion 
of  the  arc  upon  the  opposite  side.  When  Moses 
comes  down  from  Sinai  he  breaks  the  tablets  of 
the  law  in  his  impatience  at  the  unexpected  idol- 


86  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

atry  of  his  people.  At  the  foot  of  the  mountain 
of  Transfiguration  Jesus  is  roused  to  a  severe 
rebuke  of  the  disciples  who  have  been  trying  to 
do  good  work  in  his  absence,  but  have  failed  in 
their  attempt.  Musicians  are  often  quarrelsome 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  their  constant  employment 
is  the  production  of  harmony. 

Spiritualists  are  often  deeply  sorrowful  at  the 
death  of  friends,  notwithstanding  their  confidence 
in  continued  communion. 

Metaphysicians  are  often  filled  with  anxious 
thought  in  the  midst  of  their  warfare  against 
worry.  The  most  reasonable  solution  of  these 
mysteries  lies  in  the  analysis  of  the  emotions. 

Through  the  dangerous  indulgence  of  elation 
we  involve  ourselves  in  discords  of  depression. 
The  old  hymn  aptly  expressed  the  feeling  common 
to  all  when  on  the  unaccustomed  mountain-top  : 

"  Oh,  could  my  soul  but  stay 

In  such  a  frame  as  this, 
And  sit  and  sing  itself  away 

To  everlasting  bliss." 

But  we  feel  we  cannot  remain  in  the  higher  alti- 
tudes. At  the  same  time  we  resent  the  necessity  of 
the  ordinary  duties  and  associations  of  life  which 
seem  to  demand  of  us  a  certain  condescension. 
This  is  a  mistaken  view  ;  the  fault  is  in  our  estimate 
of  the  value  of  the  ecstasy.     Emotional  states  are 


PATIENCE.  87 

necessarily  transient  and  dangerous.  Truly  spir- 
itual conditions  are  abiding  and  imperishable. 
There  are  breezy  uplands  where  the  atmospheres 
are  always  clear,  and  the  sunlight  perpetually  ra- 
diant. 

We  attain  to  these  states  only  when  we  climb 
by  paths  of  principle,  and  not  through  the  ex- 
perience of  the  emotions.  They  are  reached  as 
well  through  the  busiest  and  most  commonplace 
activities  of  life  as  in  the  seclusion  of  the  scholar 
and  recluse.  They  are  superior  to  all  environ- 
ment and  suffer  no  reactions.  They  are  indiffer- 
ent to  sensation  because  confident  of  results. 

This  power  is  found  in  the  complete  recogni- 
tion of  the  greater  self.  It  regards  the  personal  or 
lesser  self  as  a  student  and  pupil.  When  it  suffers 
it  comforts  this  "  alter  ego  "  with  the  reassurance 
of  its  ability  to  overcome  all  pain  through  knowl- 
edge rather  than  through  rapture. 

It  teaches  the  lesser  self  to  say,  "  I  desire  this 
experience  to  continue  till  I  have  learned  its 
lesson.  I  cheerfully  consent  to  any  price  that  life 
demands  for  wisdom." 

Our  best  lessons  are  often  learned  when  suffer- 
ing reveals  us  to  ourselves.  Should  we  not  then 
make  friends  with  our  troubles,  instead  of  angrily 
despising  them? 

Let  us  bid  them  do  their  will  upon  us  —  not 
defiantly,  but  with  honest  purpose  of  learning  the 


88  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

power  of  spirit  to  destroy  pain.  Give  the  thumb- 
screws another  turn,  O  Life,  and  I  will  find  within 
myself  a  stronger  force  than  anguish.  I  will  not 
be  a  slave  to  suffering.  I  will  not  evade  by  flight, 
but  I  will  say  of  truth,  "  Though  it  slay  me  yet  will 
I  trust  in  it,"  and  from  the  anguish  will  be  born  a 
peace  that  is  abiding  and  makes  suffering  hence- 
forth impossible. 

When  we  indulge  impatience  we  produce  dis- 
turbed conditions  of  the  soul.  Our  higher  self 
knows  the  repose  of  infinite  peace,  while  the  mortal 
feels  only  the  difficulty  of  its  attainment. 

The  higher  self  is  as  the  ocean  rolling  its  great 
tides  outward,  while  the  personal  self  is  as  the 
wind  blowing  shoreward  ;  and  so  the  surface  of  the 
life  is  agitated  and  we  suffer  from  the  conflict  of 
wind  and  tide. 

When  we  bring  these  forces  into  consonant  action 
they  will  manifest  a  boundless  power. 

Mere  theories  will  not  heal  life's  troubles.  It  is 
only  by  doing  the  will  of  the  greater  self  that  we 
can  know  the  true  doctrine  of  peace  and  power.  We 
can  never  learn  to  swim  by  clinging  with  one  hand 
to  the  shore.  We  can  never  be  rid  of  our  difl!iculties 
as  long  as  we  insist  on  tightly  clutching  and  con- 
stantly reviewing  them.  It  is  as  if  we  should  open 
an  old  sore  to  see  if  it  were  healing.  We  must  let 
go  of  the  intense  and  selfish  thought.  In  the 
miracles  of  healing,  which  are  so  often  reported  by 


PA  TIENCE.  89 

the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  it  is  noticeable  that 
the  mind  of  the  devotee  has  been  first  prepared  by 
turning  the  thought  away  from  his  own  sufferings 
to  those  of  another.  In  a  partial  transcript  of  an 
offer  of  indulgence  copied  from  the  walls  of  a 
cathedral  we  find  the  following: 

"  A  partial  indulgence  may  be  gained  by  reciting 
before  this  cross  with  sorrowful  heart  seven  times 
the  Hail  Mary  in  honor  of  the  sorrows  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin ;  "  and  again  the  same,  **  in  honor 
of  the  sacred  wounds  of  our  Lord."  The  soul  of 
the  suppliant  is  thus  first  confirmed  in  patience, 
and  then  exercised  in  adoration  and  led  to  expect 
with  confidence  the  healing  which  so  often  follows 
its  devotions. 

The  emotional  and  sensual  natures  are  closely 
allied. 

Spiritual  life  manifests  a  higher  purpose  and 
power  than  are  shown  in    self-indulgence. 

The  real  value  of  any  position  of  responsibility 
is  in  its  opportunities  of  service  rather  than  of  gain. 

Until  we  have  learned  this  truth  we  are  not 
fitted  for  large  work  in  positions  of  trust  and  influ- 
ence. Selfishness  narrows  the  horizon,  paralyzes 
action,  and  neutralizes  energy.  "  Service  "  is  the 
word  of  power  and  healing,  and  it  is  always  certain 
that  "  He  that  looseth  his  life  shall  find  it." 

We  cannot  help  or  hinder  another  except  with 
his  consent. 


90  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

This  may  be  given  perhaps  unconsciously  and 
through  a  state  of  mind  which  has  become  recep- 
tive, not  as  the  result  of  dehberate  choice  so  much 
as  from  an  habitual  tendency,  as  a  heroic  mind  is 
open  always  to  heroic  impulses  even  when  uncon- 
sciously conveyed.  IMarconi's  electric  currents  are 
projected  as  waves  or  radiations  and  their  positive 
motion  registered  upon  a  sensitive  receiver. 

If  the  receiver  were  not  adapted  to  the  current 
it  would  be  unaffected  by  it  and  remain  inert. 
The  mind  that  is  not  sensitized  to  evil  cannot  be 
influenced  by  evil  thought. 

The  mind  that  is  not  accustomed  to  good  can- 
not receive  good  thought. 

"  To  him  that  hath  is  given  "  —  simply  for  the 
reason  that  such  are  most  receptive. 

Power  and  sensibility  are  always  joined.  We 
have  commonly  imagined  them  divorced.  Sensi- 
tiveness is  no  right  plea  for  weakness. 

The  strongest  forces  are  the  most  subtle  and 
insidious. 

The  rankest  poisons  are  often  the  most  inodor- 
ous.    The  most  rapid  agencies  are  silent  ones. 

Insulation  is  an  important  factor  in  laboratory 
work. 

This  is  equally  true  in  the  work  of  a  mental 
healer.  A  certain  mental  insulation  of  the  patient 
is  always  necessary. 

When  a  single  current  would  work  good  results 


PATIENCE.  91 

diverse  currents  of  different  rates  through  different 
healers  are  apt  to  bring  confusion  and  injury  to  the 
patient.  It  is  a  molecular  bombardment  of  mixed 
forces.  Patience  is  a  most  important  factor  in  the 
accomplishment  of  mental  cures.  The  truly  scien- 
tific mind  is  never  impatient.  It  moves  with  bold- 
ness, deliberation,  and  confidence. 

Many  an  invalid  who  has  suffered  from  physicians 
for  months  and  years,  until  driven  to  try  as  a  last 
alternative  a  course  of  mental  treatment,  impatiently 
protests  against  the  least  delay  if  positive  results 
are  not  immediately  obtained. 

He  forgets  that  often  a  new  growth  must  be 
established  and  developed  in  the  diseased  organs, 
and  that  nature  sometimes  does  this  work  in  the 
unseen  a  long  time  before  a  change  is  manifested 
at  the  surface.  Doubtless  much  real  good  in 
mental  work  is  sacrificed  by  the  impatience  of 
the  sufferer.  Actual  results  are  often  silently 
accomplished,  but  have  not  yet  appeared  when 
the  invalid  decides  to  try  another  healer  or  to 
abandon  altogether  what  to  him  is  only  an  ex- 
periment. 

If  we  realized  more  intelligently  the  nature  of 
thought  we  would  feel  positive  assurance  of  its 
work  as  we  do  of  the  seed  when  we  have  buried 
it  and  watered  it  without  a  doubt  of  its  finding  its 
way  above  the  ground.  We  are  content  to  wait 
for  it  to  grow.      Every  thought  will  surely  find  its 


92  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

proper  soil,  will  root  itself,  and  bear  its  fruit 
whether  of  good  or   evil. 

Thought  flies  always  straight  to  its  mark.  It 
is  more  intelligent  than  bird  or  bee,  and  finds  its 
destination  with  greater  ease.  We  need  not  fear 
it  will  miscarry.  It  may  remain  a  long  time  in 
the  aura  of  an  individual,  and  gain  entrance  only 
when  his  armor  is  loosened. 

When  we  are  open  to  good  influences  they 
always  find  their  way  to  us. 

When  we  choose  the  lower  impulses  they  fasten 
themselves  upon  us  and  feed  on  our  vitality  like 
parasites. 

We  are  not  teachable  as  long  as  we  arc  vexed 
by  criticism. 

Patience  is  an  elementof  both  power  and  freedom. 

Doubts  produce  impatience  and  are  non-con- 
ductors of  spiritual  currents.  Knowledge  comes 
through  patient  listening  to  the  voice  of  the 
Greater  Self.     Concentration  is  confidence. 

That  for  which  we  anxiously  strive  with  too 
earnest  endeavor  often  brings  the  least  result,  and 
if  at  last  attained,  the  usual  consequence  is  dis- 
appointment. 

Nature  embodies  in  a  drop  of  dew  the  same 
force  it  expresses  in  a  cloud-burst  or  tornado. 
Yet  the  one  nourishes  and  the  others  destroy. 

When  we  are  in  harmony  with  life  through  a 
right  purpose,  its  vigorous  energies  find  expression 


PATIENCE.  93 

through  us  without  effort.  What  we  gain  through 
strife  seldom  proves  of  value,  and  often  we  find 
that  the  obstacle  we  have  crushed  was  a  safe- 
guard against  suffering.  If  we  have  broken  it 
down  by  our  impatience  we  have  opened  an  avenue 
of  pain. 

But  even  in  such  experience  we  prove  our  need 
of  the  trouble  we  precipitated  by  our  rashness. 
Like  children,  we  have  cried  and  struggled  for  the 
candy  that  has  made  us  ill,  but  through  the  illness 
we  may  learn  a  lesson  and  develop  greater  strength. 

If  the  sweets  had  contained  a  poison  that  was 
fatal  we  would  have  found  them  unattainable.  The 
barriers  would  not  have  given  way  and  we  would 
have  been  defeated  in  our  purpose. 

Life  is  kinder  to  us  than  we  know.  She  would  be 
far  gentler  still  if  we  ourselves  permitted  it.  We 
compel  her  often  to  use  force  to  hold  us  back  from 
self-destruction.  Of  force  she  has  unlimited  com- 
mand.    Her  mighty  powers  we  have  never  gauged. 

The  very  snowflake  which  falls  so  gently  and 
looks  so  white  and  peaceful  holds  greater  energies 
than  any  we  have  yet  developed  in  our  most 
powerful  explosives. 

Nature  confers  her  favors  only  on  her  friends. 
While  we  distrust  life  at  any  point  we  cannot  fully 
learn  its  secrets  or  its  joys.  Faith  must  needs  be 
recognized  as  the  normal  action  of  the  human 
mind ;    not  faith  in  ecclesiastical  dogma  or  scien- 


94  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

tific  theory,  but  faith  in  the  goodness  of  life  itself, 
—  in  its  high  possibilities  and  powers.  These  are 
revealed  only  to  those  who  listen  trustfully  to  the 
voice  of  the  soul. 

In  dealing  with  the  question  of  intellect  we  are 
sometimes  in  danger  of  false  distinctions  and  arbi- 
trary definitions. 

Spirit  can  be  nothing  less  than  intellectual,  and 
intellect  rightly  instructed  can  be  nothing  less 
than  spiritual.  The  very  meaning  of  the  word  is 
"  understanding." 

A  truly  educated  intellect  can  never  be  a  stum- 
bling-block to  spiritual  advancement.  It  is,  on  the 
contrary,  essential  to  the  highest  spiritual  percep- 
tions. 

Intuition  is  only  instantaneous  reason,  and 
sooner  or  later  it  can  always  give  of  itself  a  rational 
justification. 

There  can  be  no  such  thing  as  "  pride  of  intel- 
lect," because  an  enlightened  intelligence  must 
have  outgrown  pride.  All  pride  is  ignorance  and 
marks  the  absence  of  illumination.  It  is  not  a 
taint  of  intellectual  development,  but  shows  the 
lack  of  it.  One  who  is  truly  intellectual  never 
shows  impatience  at  the  want  of  education  in 
another,  nor  does  he  insist  upon  the  absolute  cor- 
rectness of  his  own  opinions,  knowing  well  that 
in  the  journey  he  has  travelled  his  point  of  view 
has  often  changed,  and  that  it  will  doubtless 
change  again. 


PATIENCE.  95 

We  set  out  upon  the  road  with  the  reckless 
gladness  of  childhood.  We  never  doubt  that  the 
world  was  made  for  us.  It  is  truly  our  oyster  and 
we  are  to  open  it.  We  proceed  merrily  with  our 
task,  and  at  first  all   things  give  way  to  us. 

Later  on  we  burden  ourselves  with  accumula- 
tions. We  involve  ourselves,  through  our  ambi- 
tions, in  endless  complications  and  perplexities. 

We  even  believe  this  necessary  to  the  increasing 
responsibilities  of  life,  and  sigh  hopelessly  some- 
times for  the  simplicity  of  the  earlier  years.  What 
is  the  nature  of  the  load  under  which  our  shoulders 
stoop  and  the  hair  turns  gray?  Will  we  dare  ex- 
amine the  pack  we  carry?  Is  it  not  weighted  with 
unnecessary  things,  such  as  regrets  and  griefs  at 
our  disillusions? 

Are  we  calling  ourselves  failures  and  sorrowing 
for  neglected  opportunities?  Are  we  sore  at  the 
recollection  of  injustice  we  have  suffered  and  blam- 
ing others  for  our  troubles?  Are  we  burdened 
with  despondency  which  turns  our  eyes  backward 
and  dims  our  vision  to  the  beauties  of  the  road 
that  we  are  travelling?  Or  are  we,  in  a  fever  of 
anticipation,  straining  our  sight  to  look  forward 
and  hurrying  our  steps  in  impatience  and  rest- 
lessness to  reach  an  uncertain  goal? 

Are  we  embarrassed  with  anxieties  for  others, 
forgetting  that  each  life  is  secure  in  its  own  orbit 
even  though    we  may  not  understand  its  course? 


96  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

If  our  sufifering  has  come  through  any  of  these 
causes  it  will  quickly  pass  when  we  have  recognized 
our  own  and  others  true  relation  to  the  universe. 

There  is  a  Chinese  padlock  which  opens  only  to 
the  spelling  of  a  name  to  which  its  wards  arc  fitted. 

Every  difficulty  we  encounter  has  some  key 
which  will  unlock  it  when  we  have  discovered  the 
right  word  and  learned  to  fit  it  to  its  place.  It 
may  be  "Trust,"  "  Persistence,"  "  Confidence,"  or 
"  Gladness." 

The  joy  bells  are  always  ringing.  If  our  hear- 
ing has  been  dulled  by  the  tensity  of  selfishness 
their  sweet  chimes  will  not  reach  us  till  we  have 
unstopped  our  cars  and  let  go  of  our  sorrows. 
Patience  has  not  had  her  perfect  work  until  we 
have  become  indifferent  to  trouble  and  vexation. 
From  this  point  we  go  forward  fearlessly,  assured 
of  a  complete  and  early  conquest. 

We  can  cheerfully  submit  to  anything  we  think 
will  bring  us  good. 

If  we  are  thoroughly  assured  that  life  is  governed 
in  every  detail  by  beneficent  law  we  quickly  find 
that  all  its  processes  are  painless  and  enjoyable. 

Its  gravest  trial  then  becomes  "  the  light  afflic- 
tion which  is  but  for  a  moment." 


All  impatience  disturbs  the  circulation,  scatters 
force,  and  makes  concentration  difficult  if  not  im- 
possible. 


PATIENCE.  97 


We  may  be  sure  there  is  deliverance  from  every 
unfavorable  condition  of  our  lives  when  we  have 
fitted  ourselves  to  accept  it. 

It  is  useless  to  try  to  get  rid  of  suffering  before 
we  have  learned  its  lesson.  Life  moves  with 
accurate  precision  upon  the  lines  that  we  make 
necessary. 


98  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 


All  the  doors  of  life  are  inscribed  "  Pull."  They 
open  inward  toward  the  individual  himself;  and 
yet  we  often  read  amiss,  and  think  they  are  marked 
"  Push." 

We  do  not  estimate  at  its  true  value  the  mag- 
netic power  of  thought,  which  draws  to  us  what  we 
confidently  seek,  if  we  only  fix  the  centre  of  attrac- 
tion and  hold  it  steadily  to  its  work. 


MASTER   MARINERS.  99 

V. 

MASTER   MARINERS. 

COAST   NOTES. 

Blow  the  wind  East  or  blow  it  West, 
Whichever  wind  blows  is  the  best." 


•'  I  count  it  kinglier  far  to  wait. 

Aye,  wait  and  wait  a  thousand  years. 
Than  once  to  doubt  or  challenge  fate." 

—  Joaquin  Miller. 

The  evolution  of  the  spiritual  man  is  simply  the 
education  of  a  navigator. 

The  boy  who  takes  his  toy  ship  to  the  pond  will 
set  its  little  rudder  to  counteract  the  wind  that  is 
blowing,  and  launch  it  without  a  pilot  on  its  mimic 
voyage. 

If  the  wind  doesn't  change,  his  venture  moves 
directly  toward  the  other  bank,  but  otherwise  it  is 
the  sport  of  breeze  and  current  —  blown  hither  and 
thither  until  it  drifts  ashore. 

If  a  living  pilot  were  aboard  he  could  shape  its 
course  intelligently,  and  make  a  prosperous  voyage 
in  the  face  of  any  and  all  winds. 

An  undeveloped  man  who  has  not  learned  to 
grasp  the  helm  of  his  being,  and  direct  its  course 


lOO  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAII^ 

with  distinct  purpose  and  skill,  is  drifting  on  the  sea 
of  life. 

When  he  awakens  to  this  discovery  his  first  im- 
pulse is  to  place  himself  in  tow  of  some  stronger 
and  wiser  intelligence  than  his  own.  This  is  well 
if  his  aim  be  self-development  and  independent 
navigation.  But  many  who  are  enrolled  as  dis- 
ciples of  metaphysics  are  content  to  sail  so  long 
as  the  water  is  smooth  and  the  breezes  suit  them. 
As  soon  as  the  sea  roughens  or  the  wind  veers, 
their  seamanship  is  all  at  fault,  and  they  signal 
for  a  pilot. 

What  would  be  thought  of  the  navigator  who 
could  never  loosen  his  canvas  in  open  water,  but 
was  dependent  on  the  tug  master  to  tow  him 
across  the  seas ;  or  who  would  steer  for  port  in 
every  change  of  weather? 

We  need  to  learn  that  there  are  no  adverse 
winds  to  the  able  seaman.  He  makes  every  gust 
to  serve  him.  He  does  not  expect  to  make  his 
voyage  with  the  breeze  "  dead  aft."  He  is  even 
content  to  meet  it  sometimes  "  dead  ahead,"  and 
shorten  sail  or  lie  "  head  on  "  to  the  great  seas 
and  let  it  blow,  knowing  that  in  a  few  hours  it  will 
shift  to  a  more  favorable  quarter.  He  may  gain 
but  a  single  mile  upon  his  course  in  a  whole  day's 
sailing.  Yet  that  mile  is  as  truly  a  part  of  his  voy- 
age as  the  two  or  three  hundred  that  he  clears  an- 
other day.     All  these  exigencies  were  taken  into 


MASTER  MARINERS.  lOI 

consideration  and  provided  for  before  he  left  the 
shelter  of  the  bay.  He  knew  he  would  meet 
stormy  winds  and  tempestuous  seas,  but  also  knew 
his  seamanship  was  competent  to  bring  him  safely 
through  them,  and  that  every  voyage  would  de- 
velop larger  knowledge  through  experience. 

There  is  no  trouble  that  can  come  to  us  but  car- 
ries with  it  food  for  spiritual  life. 

There  is  no  cloud,  however  black,  that  hangs 
above  us  but  is  charged  with  light  that  can  illumi- 
nate the  darkest  passes  of  our  journey. 

VVe  must  transmute  the  suffering  and  draw  the 
lightning. 

We  can  turn  the  baser  metals  into  gold,  and 
charge  electric  batteries  with  the  force  of  thunder- 
bolts. 

We  are  divine  alchemists.  Our  laboratory  is 
perfectly  equipped  with  heat  and  light  and  power. 

Let  us  forget  our  anxieties  and  employ  our- 
selves with  the  study  and  direction  of  the  tre- 
mendous forces  which  course  through  us. 

Let  us  leave  the  little  personal  man  outside  and 
not  allow  ourselves  to  be  bothered  with  his  com- 
plaints. He  can  come  in  when  he  gets  ready, 
share  our  experiments,  and  enjoy  our  satisfaction. 
There  is  a  door  always  open,  and  he  can  find  it 
when  he  will.  Why  should  we  weary  ourselves 
with  his  lamentations? 

What  cares  the  scientist  for  the  direction  of  the 


102  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

weather-vane  when  he  is  busy  with  his  retorts  and 
crucibles — absorbed  with  the  study  and  develop- 
ment of  nature's  energies — which  he  controls  at 
will ! 

When  a  beam  of  the  eternal  day  has  flashed 
across  one's  path  his  most  grievous  trouble  be- 
comes trifling,  and  shrinks  into  such  insignificance 
that  he  ceases  to  question  his  soul  regarding  suffer- 
ing. No  thought  of  self-pity  or  injustice  can  per- 
plex him  in  that  noonday  light.  His  head  is  above 
the  clouds  —  above  the  swirl  of  waters  that  seemed 
so  threatening  before.  The  winds  are  no  longer 
boisterous. 

When  this  light  has  really  dawned  upon  the 
consciousness,  the  present  and  future  are  ab- 
sorbed in  it.  It  is  the  one  great  reality  of 
existence.  It  blends  all  experiences  in  complete 
harmony.  One  no  longer  seeks  sleep  or  death 
as  a  refuge  from  sorrows,  for  pain  has  passed 
like  a  mist  that  has  rolled  away  before  the 
sun  of  the  morning.  Humanity  has  recognized 
its  destiny,  and  looks  enraptured  like  a  toil-worn 
traveller  who  gazes  from  a  lofty  summit  upon  the 
glory  of  a  landscape  that  transcends  his  most  con- 
fident expectations  and  surpasses  his  most  daring 
imagination. 

Know  that  death  is  not  the  only  gateway 
through  which  we  reach  this  realization.  It  may 
come   through    pain    or   pleasure    in    the   hour    of 


MASTER  MAR/NERS.  103 

struggle  or  of  stillness.  But  in  that  moment  one 
is  born  again.  He  steps  beyond  all  thought  or 
care  of  suffering  forever.  Pain  and  pleasure  are 
alike  swallowed  up  in  the  superb  sense  of  being. 

The  King  has  come  to  his  own. 

It  is  always  ours  to  choose  upon  what  seas  we 
will  embark,  and  to  what  winds  we  will  trim  our 
sails. 

Having  made  the  choice,  we  find  our  only  effort 
is  to  hold  ourselves  in  accord  with  the  tides  and 
currents  that  bear  us  onward.  We  have  become 
a  part  of  their  life,  and  our  relation  to  them  is 
governed  by  ourselves. 

We  do  not  realize  the  uses  of  ebb  tides  in  the 
affairs  of  men.  In  the  diurnal  movements  of  the 
sea  the  flood  comes  in  and  carries  the  rubbish  high 
upon  the  shore,  where  it  is  disinfected  by  the  sun. 
The  ebb  tide  sweeps  the  sands  clean,  carrying  out 
the  waste  to  be  buried  in  the  ocean  depths.  The 
petty  disorders  of  the  beach  are  quickly  washed 
away.  So  man  is  cleansed  and  healed  by  both 
the  flood  tides  and  the  ebb,  in  his  varying  ex- 
periences of  prosperity  and  adversity. 

Let  him  not  be  impatient  at  low  tide.  The  waves 
will  bring  back  what  they  floated  away.  They 
will  cast  it  again  at  his  feet  cleansed  and  freshened 
by  the  deep  waters. 

The  best  ships  look  uncouth  and  useless  when 
stranded  upon  dry  sands,  but  when  the  sea  comes 


I04  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

tumbling  in  again  they  are  soon  afloat  and  pull- 
ing at  their  hawsers  as  if  impatient  for  another 
voyage.  The  tides  have  brought  to  them  new  life 
and  opportunity.  The  waiting  is  ended,  for  the 
ebb   is  passed. 

When  the  tides  serve  we  may  launch  our  ven- 
tures, but  waiting  is  often  the  part  of  wisdom,  and 
we  should  wait  with  patience. 

Life  has  its  light-towers  upon  all  headlands. 

Every  reef  is  marked  by  its  lightships  and  bell- 
buoys. 

It  has  its  signal  circuits  so  established  that  we 
cannot  break  their  currents  without  the  sounding 
of  alarm  bells. 

This  is  proved  on  every  plane  of  human  activity. 
If  we  swerve  to  the  least  degree  from  our  proper 
channel  that  very  instant  do  we  put  in  motion 
cause  of  suffering.  The  longer  we  hold  upon  the 
mistaken  course  the  more  the  pain  is  deepened. 

Persistence  in  error  brings  us  to  the  shoals  on 
which  our  life  craft  will  be  wrecked.  A  new  ship 
will  be  necessary  before  we  can  resume  our  voy- 
age. It  is  well  to  heed  our  earliest  warnings  if  we 
wish  smooth  passages. 

An  engineer  watches  his  steam  and  water  gauges 
and  maintains  them  at  the  proper  level  for  the 
highest  power.  He  can  easily  know  when  the 
steam  in  his  boilers  is  getting  low  and  the  water 
too  hish. 


MASTER  MARINERS.  I05 

The  remedy  is  in  the  fuel  pile,  and,  opening  the 
furnace  doors,  he  feeds  the  fires  afresh  while  the 
machinery  moves  with  a  new  vigor. 

The  officer  of  the  weather  bureau,  from  his 
tower,  studies  his  instruments  that  show  the  ac- 
tion of  wind  and  weather,  and  from  his  signal 
staff  he  flies  the  warning  of  cold  waves  and  hur- 
ricanes. 

It  is  very  necessary  for  us  to  note  storm  signals 
in  ourselves  and  one  another,  and  govern  our  days 
accordingly. 

We  must  study  carefully  the  soul  forces  within 
us  in  order  to  control  and  direct  their  energies, 
must  feed  our  fires  and  keep  our  gauges  clean. 

There  is  never  lack  of  energy.  Our  work  is  to 
direct  its  application  wisely  to  our  own  require- 
ments. We  are  often  impatient  for  the  immediate 
solution  of  the  entire  problem.  If  we  will  quietly 
content  ourselves  with  the  occupation  of  the  day, 
applying  thoroughly  the  few  principles  of  life's 
arithmetic  we  have  acquired  to  the  arrangement 
of  the  factors  in  our  hands,  we  will  oftener  be 
pleasantly  surprised  than  disappointed  with  results. 

Our  sailing  will  bring  us  more  frequently  into 
smooth  waters  than  rough  ones.  The  simple  tables 
of  spiritual  logarithms  provide  us  with  all  that 
we  require  for  our  mortal  navigation. 

We  have  scarcely  embarked  as  yet  upon  the 
great  sea  of  Truth.     We  are  only  dropping  down 


I06  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

the  bay.  It  will  be  some  time  before  we  feel  the 
ground-swell  of  the  ocean  under  us,  and  begin  to 
realize  that  we  are  "  off  soundings." 

The  most  serious  work  that  we  have  yet  at- 
tempted is  only  coasting  in  sight  of  shore.  Before 
we  can  safely  navigate  the  open  sea  we  must  learn 
to  command  and  obey. 

The  troubles  of  to-day  are  not  those  that  most 
disturb  us,  but  the  troubles  of  to-morrow. 

We  feel  equal  to  the  struggle  of  the  present 
moment,  but  are  distressed  at  the  thought  of  that 
which  looms  upon  the  horizon  of  the  future  — 
that  which  is  just  swinging  across  the  range  of  our 
perspective  and  stands  between  us  and  the  sun, 
making  twilight  of  the  noonday  and  chilling  our 
blood  with  fear.  It  is  the  gathering  storm  that 
most  affrights  us. 

To  forestall  the  duty  of  any  hour  is  as  undesir- 
able as  to  neglect  it  when  it  comes. 

Prematurity  is  as  dangerous  a  disease  as  pro- 
crastination, and  often  far  more  costly  in  time  and 
treasure.  Every  responsibility  arrives  with  its  at- 
tendant factors  and  environment.  These  cannot 
be  properly  combined  in  any  other  hour  than  that 
to  which  they  belong.  Let  us  revise  the  old  proverb 
and  know 

There  is  never  a  slip 
'Twixt  the  cup  and  the  lip 
For  which  fate  intends  it. 


MASTER  MARINERS.  lO/ 

It  is  not  always  possible  to  trace  the  connection 
between  cause  and  consequence  in  any  particular 
experience,  but  we  may  be  always  sure  the  cause 
lies  hidden  in  ourselves.  As  we  work  upon  this 
principle  we  find  our  understanding  and  discern- 
ment grow  more  accurate  with  every  day. 

Sometimes  cause  and  consequence  lie  so  close 
together  that  we  have  no  difficulty  in  perceiving 
the  straight  line  connecting  them. 

Sometimes  the  cause  lies  hidden  in  a  remote 
event  or  impulse  which  was  indulged  long  ago 
and  has  been  long  forgotten. 

Sometimes  it  dates  back  to  weaknesses  we 
thought  we  had  outgrown  and  which  have  made 
no  sign  for  many  years.  Some  unusual  event  has 
waked  up  slumbering  sensations  and  put  them 
again  in  evidence,  to  our  most  serious  discomfort 
and  chagrin.  Perhaps  we  say,  "  I  have  been  really 
tranquil,  yet  this  trouble  comes." 

No  crop  is  ever  grown  except  from  seed,  but 
seed  may  lie  long  buried  in  the  ground  and  mani- 
fest its  dormant  power  of  fruitfulness  in  some 
quite  unexpected  conditions  of  heat  or  moisture. 
A  man  in  middle  age  who  has  acquired  unusual 
self-possession  may  suffer  from  head  troubles  that 
are  the  result  of  early  tempers.  In  a  time  when 
negative  conditions  prevail  over  the  positive  the 
seed  of  this  old  weakness  will  germinate  and  show 
itself  in  symptoms  that  may  baffle  the  physicians. 


io8  Discoi'FRv  or  1   rnsT  trail. 

Some  poisons  work  more  speedily  than  others. 
Some  may  remain  latent  and  unsuspected  in  the 
system  through  long  periods  of  time. 

The  suffering  and  sorrow  of  to-day  may  be  the 
ripened  fruit  of  yesterday's  sowing,  or  many  har- 
vests may  have  been  gathered  since  the  seed  of  this 
particular  experience  was  planted. 

And  yet  we  need  not  fear  a  lurking  evil  after 
we  have  diligently  sought  its  root  and  used  the 
knife  of  mental  surgery  with  an  unfaltering  pur- 
pose. If  suffering  continues  we  may  know  that 
we  have  spared  some  nerve  or  tendon  that  should 
have  been  cut  away  or  left  some  grain  of  poison 
in  the  system  that  needs  to  be  expelled.  Spiritual 
cleansing  must  be  thorough  and  heroic  if  we  wish 
it  to  be  effectual. 

The  crimson  and  scarlet  must  be  made  as  white 
as  snow.  This  is  always  within  our  power  if  it  is 
within  our  purpose. 

There  is  no  virtue  but  may  become  exaggerated 
and  distorted.  When  it  becomes  so  pronounced 
as  to  cause  self-complacency  in  the  mind  of  its 
possessor  it  has  passed  the  line  of  equilibrium  and 
reached  this  stage. 

The  faintest  trace  of  pride  in  any  virtuous  char- 
acteristic marks  decay,  and  shows  a  vicious  ten- 
dency, for  pride  and  self-complacency  find  lodg- 
ment only  in  an  unsound  mind. 

What  we  are  governs  what  we  believe.      "  Be- 


MASTER  MARINERS.  109 

lief"  does  not  govern  life.  It  is  the  expression 
of  being.  It  comes  from  within,  and  is  the  indica- 
tion of  the  point  of  development  that  has  been 
reached. 

Character  is  the  growth  of  that  which  we  call 
"  trouble,"  as  the  trunk  of  the  forest  tree  is  fed  by 
the  mould  of  its  dead  leaves  lying  about  its  roots. 
It  seems  to  part  reluctantly  with  the  summer  foh- 
age,  which  has  been  its  glory,  and  which  the 
autumn  winds  tear  from  its  branches  till  they  are 
stripped  and  bare ;  yet  through  this  very  process 
the  way  is  prepared  for  a  new  and  larger  growth 
when  the  next  spring  comes  round.  So  even 
the  old  treasures  have  a  part  in  the  new  glory 
which  has  been  made  possible  by  their  death. 
We  must  needs  let  go  of  the  old  life  to  make  a 
larger  and  better  experience  possible. 

When  we  make  our  happiness  dependent  upon 
persons,  things,  and  places,  the  conditions  are 
beyond  our  control,  and  we  are  subject  to  many 
alternations  of  hope  and  sorrow. 

When  we  assume  the  entire  responsibility,  and 
look  for  all  causes  in  ourselves,  there  is  no  mo- 
ment in  which  we  do  not  govern.  In  one  case  we 
are  crossing  a  river  upon  broken  ice,  springing 
from  one  cake  to  another,  as  they  are  driven  by 
the  currents,  never  secure  of  our  footing,  and  in 
continual  danger. 

In  the  other  we  are  as  navigators,  with  a  sound 


no  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

craft  under  us,  in  which  we  calmly  set  both  sail  and 
rudder,  and  direct  our  course  without  anxiety  to 
the  port  we  wish  to  reach.  It  is  the  first  lesson 
of  power  to  learn  that  all  possibilities  centre  in  the 
individual  will. 

There  is  no  such  thing  as  intermittent  law. 

Unless  action  is  constant  and  unvarying  it  does 
not  manifest  a  law.  A  law  does  not  operate  at  one 
time  and  suspend  its  action  in  another.  If  this 
were  true  we  could  never  depend  upon  results.  If 
law  is  supreme  it  can  never  lapse.  Then  we  have 
no  alternative,  if  we  insist  on  "  accidents,"  than 
that  of  a  chaotic  universe. 

It  does  not  follow  that  the  strict  relation  between 
cause  and  consequence  is  interrupted  because  we 
cannot,  in  any  particular  case,  trace  the  unbroken 
connection. 

If  a  man's  life  at  any  point  could  become  un- 
willingly subordinated  to  another  so  as  to  make 
of  him  a  "  victim,"  and  relieve  him  of  the  respon- 
sibility of  consequences,  he  would  not  be  a  free 
agent,  and  our  teaching  of  freedom  and  respon- 
sibility would  be  false.  If  man  suffers  from  acci- 
dent he  is  not  living  under  the  dominion  of  law. 

If,  however,  the  cause  of  the  "  accident  "  lies  in 
the  man's  own  Karma,  the  law  is  vindicated  and 
established,  and  we  may  rest  secure  in  its  benefi- 
cent operation  in  every  life.  The  mills  of  the  gods 
grind  so  slowly  that  the  grist  of  to-day  may  have 


MASTER  MARINERS.  i  i  i 

been  put  into  the  hopper  in  some  incarnation  far 
remote,  but  doubtless  by  the  man's  own  hands, 
for  it  is  only  our  own  grist  that  comes  to  us 
through  the  mill  of  life. 

We  are  like  eagles  chained  to  a  barnyard  perch. 
We  flutter  our  wings  uselessly  and  turn  a  restless 
eye  to  the  mountain-peak  where  lies  our  home, 
but  every  time  we  seek  to  rise  we  feel  the  hurt 
of  the  tether  which  holds  us  down. 

We  do  not  realize  that  we  are  ensnared  in  our 
own  mistaken  thoughts  and  purposes — self-hyp- 
notized and  paralyzed  with  fear. 

We  learn  to  look  upon  ourselves  as  captives  — 
until  there  comes  a  day  when  a  new  light  shines 
into  our  soul,  our  fetters  are  broken,  and  we  go 
free. 

Some  truths  are  suddenly  revealed  to  one  in 
middle  life  which  he  has  never  before  perceived. 

They  flash  upon  his  consciousness  like  the  light 
of  distant  stars  of  his  own  planetary  system  — 
travelling  toward  him  for  ages  and  just  arrived  at 
the  outermost  bounds  of  his  spiritual  horizon. 

When  a  shipwrecked  mariner  has  been  cast  upon 
a  desert  island  his  first  thought  is  to  raise  a  mast 
and  fly  a  signal  of  distress.  Day  after  day  he  goes 
to  the  hill-top  and  scans  the  sky  line  anxiously, 
looking  off"  to  every  point  of  the  compass  in  the 
hope  of  sighting  a  passing  vessel.  After  long 
waiting  he  may  open  his  eyes  some  morning  to 


112  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

discover  that  while  he  slept  a  ship  had  anchored 
within  hail.  He  is  again  in  touch  with  his  fellow- 
men,  and  a  way  is  suddenly  opened  to  return  to 
all  that  he  holds  most  dear. 

How  many  an  anxious  one  has  watched  for  a 
passing  sail  to  rescue  him  from  some  shipwreck 
upon  the  shoals  of  human  life  —  the  shoals  of 
broken  health  or  fortune,  or  a  shattered  home  ! 
How,  day  after  day,  he  has  gone,  perhaps,  to  his 
little  lookout,  and  returned  from  his  search  disap- 
pointed and  hopeless, —  to  awaken  at  last  to  the 
realization  that  in  all  his  months  of  weary  watch- 
ing help  had  been  upon  the  way  !  In  the  hours  of 
the  long  night  relief  had  come  from  some  quite 
unexpected  quarter,  and  his  waiting  and  exile  are 
ended. 

There  is  never  a  moment  in  life  when  any  of  us 
can  really  justify  discouragement. 

It  is  easy  to  say  "the  unexpected  happens,"  but 
why  should  not  the  unexpected  always  be  our 
expected  good  ? 

Why  should  our  horizon  be  ever  darkened  by 
the  mists  of  dejection  or  the  thunder  clouds  of 
despair? 

We  cannot  look  out  clearly  through  the  windows 
of  the  soul  when  they  are  wet  with  the  cold  rains 
of  sorrow. 

The  spiritual  eye  is  telescopic  and  never  fails  to 
serve  the  tranquil  confidence  of  spiritual  wisdom. 


MASTER   MARINERS.  I  I  3 

The  same  winds  blow  for  us  all,  but  they  serve 
us  upon  different  tacks  according  as  we  set  our 
sails. 

Some  men  need  a  tornado  to  drive  them  into 
their  true  course,  and  some  need  to  be  cast  on 
desert  islands  before  they  realize  their  faulty 
navigation. 

As  mariners  are  guided  by  the  headlands  on  the 
coast,  and  mountain  travellers  by  certain  peaks  so 
high  they  never  can  lose  sight  of  them,  and  as 
desert  pilgrims  watch  the  sun  and  stars  in  journey- 
ing across  the  trackless  wastes,  so  should  we  in 
hours  of  bewilderment  look  for  the  spiritual  peaks 
and  headlands  we  call  principles. 

These  are  to  us  as  fixed  stars  in  the  heavens, 
guiding  us  through  every  wilderness  that  has 
seemed  impenetrable  and  bringing  us  surely  to  the 
places  of  rest  and  gladness. 


Until  we  can  see  and  understand  both  sides  of 
life  we  cannot  rightly  judge  "success"  or  "fail- 
ure." 


114  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 


Thought  principles  are  like  electric  currents  in 
live  wires. 

If  misunderstood  and  improperly  handled  they 
are  dangerous,  and  sometimes  kill  instead  of  serv- 
ing us. 


MASTER   MARINERS.  \  \  5 


Instead  of  shrinking  from  our  tests  and  trials  let 
us  regard  them  as  opportunities  of  advancement. 
Like  the  school  examinations,  they  open  the  way 
to  higher  classes  and  always  precede  promotion. 


IlG  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 


No  conquest  is  complete  that  leaves  behind  it 
either  aversion  or  desire. 

When  we  neither  flinch  from  an  experience  nor 
covet  it,  when  we  can  enjoy  or  do  without  it  with 
equal  satisfaction,  we  have  arrived  at  spiritual 
indifference,  which  is  true  evidence  of  spiritual 
mastery. 


WILL.  I  1 7 

VI. 
WILL. 

"  Stronger  than  woe  is  will."  —  Edwin  Arnold. 
Be  it  unto  thee  even  as  thou  wilt.  —  Jesus. 

All  power  is  most  effectually  applied  through 
concentration. 

In  mechanics  we  bring  the  tempered  steel  to  a 
fine  point  to  pierce  the  solid  substance  or  to  an 
edge  for  cutting. 

Thought  can  both  pierce  and  cut,  but  it  must 
have  point  and  edge  and  be  applied  by  the  energy 
of  will.  The  difficulty  is  not  in  our  tools,  but  in 
the  want  of  skill  with  which  we  handle  them. 

They  are  too  often  turned  upon  ourselves  or  used 
on  others  so  maliciously  that  they  react  with 
painful  consequences.  Railroad  tracks  and  prison 
bars  are  both  made  of  steel.  Upon  the  one  we 
speed  across  a  continent;  the  other  holds  a  man  a 
captive. 

Some  men  make  fetters  for  themselves  out  of 
the  same  conditions  that  are  used  by  others  in 
gaining  greater  freedom. 

Obstinacy  is  the  mark  of  a  weak  will.  It  asserts 
itself  in  an  emphatic  and  abnormal  way,  because 
distrustful  of  its  power. 


Il8  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

Continual  self-assertion  shows  a  sense  of  weak- 
ness and  a  lack  of  balance.  The  true  spiritual 
will  is  always  confident  of  its  power  and  is  never 
made  impatient  by  delay  or  hindrances.  A  fine 
point  pierces  easily.  A  sharp  edge  cuts  with  very 
little  pressure. 

The  potencies  of  will  cannot  be  stated  in  dy- 
namic terms.  They  are  incalculable.  Intelligent 
will  is  imbued  with  all  the  occult  forces  of  the 
universe  and  draws  from  the  universal  energies. 

All  spiritual  dominion  is  based  upon  the  recog- 
nition of  its  powers.  We  do  not  need  continually 
to  affirm,  "I  will  breathe;"  "I  will  walk;"  "I 
will  see."  Such  assertions  would  surely  indicate 
essential  weakness.  We  easily  recognize  our  free- 
dom and  ability  to  do  these  things  at  pleasure. 
When  we  have  no  doubt  of  our  capabilities  all 
effort  is  forgotten  in  their  natural  expression  and 
activity  brings  satisfaction.  We  then  adjust  our- 
selves easily  to  all  conditions  and  find  greater 
delight  in  employing  our  strength  for  the  help  of 
others  than  in  a  careful  consideration  of  our  own  re- 
quirements. When  resentment,  grief,  or  disappoint- 
ment make  their  demands  upon  us  we  choose 
between  a  selfish  indulgence  and  a  wise  acceptance 
of  the  new  conditions  they  involve.  In  one  case 
we  find  our  energies  benumbed  and  paralyzed, 
in  the  other  they  are  strengthened  and  developed 
throueh  rifjht  action  of  will. 


WILL.  119 

We  build  the  sepulchres  of  our  day-dreams. 
We  entomb  our  shattered  ideals  and  weep  above 
their  graves,  or  else  we  gain  a  clearer  understand- 
ing of  a  life  of  progress,  and  with  purified  purpose 
and  larger  knowledge  build  more  stately  mansions 
for  the  soul.  We  enter  upon  more  vigorous  life. 
We  embark  on  a  fresh  voyage  of  discovery  and 
lay  our  course  on  a  new  tack.  We  find  in  every 
trouble  a  friendly  fog-bell  anchored  above  some 
reef  of  which  it  gives  us  kindly  warning.  Its 
tones  no  longer  sound  in  our  ears  as  moans  of  our 
wrecked  hopes. 

'•  Executive  ability,"  when  it  becomes  a  matter 
of  pride,  is  often  the  expression  of  a  diseased 
will. 

A  normal  purpose  governs  its  own  life  and  does 
not  needlessly  employ  itself  in  directing  the  activi- 
ties of  others.  Activity  in  externals  is  not  infre- 
quently the  result  and  the  excuse  of  spiritual 
indolence.  A  true  life  insists  upon  freedom  for  all 
and  endeavors  to  protect  another  from  feeling  an 
undue  influence  of  its  own,  in  order  to  make  the 
best  conditions  for  development  of  character.  It 
does  not  wish  to  dominate,  but  to  free.  A  desire 
to  govern  others  is  invariably  the  mark  of  weak- 
ness in  self-government. 

Our  modern  homes  are  centres  of  all  good  things 
in  the  material  life. 

The  telephone  rings  —  we  respond  to  the  call 


I20  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

and  listen  to  the  voice  of  our  friend  who  may  be 
a  thousand  miles  away  or  under  the  same  roof. 

When  night  comes  on  we  turn  the  key  or  press 
the  button  of  an  incandescent  light,  and  our  apart- 
ments are  illuminated  as  if  by  magic. 

The  day  grows  cold.  We  open  radiator  valves, 
and  soon  have  any  degree  of  heat  that  we  require. 

We  are  thirsty,  and  the  cool  clear  water  flows 
through  our  pipes  from  the  far-oft"  spring  in  the 
hills. 

In  all  these  matters  it  is  our  own  intelligence 
that  discerns  our  wants  and  the  action  of  our  will 
that  opens  the  sources  of  supply. 

Our  friend  would  call  in  vain  if  we  refused  to 
listen  at  the  telephone.  We  could  sit  all  the  night 
long  in  darkness  if  we  did  not  choose  to  turn  on 
the  lights.  We  might  perish  of  cold  or  die  of 
thirst  if  we  declined  to  avail  ourselves  of  the  chan- 
nels through  which  heat  and  water  come  to  us.  It 
would  make  no  difference  that  we  were  on  the  cir- 
cuit of  the  electric  current,  or  that  we  had  steam 
radiators,  or  that  our  dwelling  was  included  in  the 
water  system  which  supplied  our  neighbors.  The 
voice  of  our  friend  would  be  dumb  to  us,  the  lamp 
be  dark,  the  radiator  cold,  the  water-pipes  dry,  if 
we  should  elect  to  have  them  so. 

These  things  have  their  correspondences.  We 
can  miss  of  nothing  we  desire  in  life,  of  light,  heat, 
power,  or  song,  except  as  we  shut  ourselves  out 


WILL.  1 2 1 

from  it  through  inactivity  of  will,  as  the  result  of 
indolence  or  fear. 

Our  spiritual  abodes  lack  nothing  that  we  need. 
But  it  is  our  will  that  attracts  or  drives  away  the 
pleasant  and  sweet  things  of  life. 

When  we  move  smoothly  through  the  country 
in  a  railway  journey  we  do  not  realize  the  force 
of  the  engine  that  draws  us  on  our  way.  It  is 
only  when  we  are  thrown  off  the  track  and  the 
power  is  shown  in  its  destructive  energy  ploughing 
up  the  ground  and  tearing  its  own  road-bed  that 
we  begin  to  know  the  possibilities  of  its  momen- 
tum. 

A  dynamo  carried  on  the  engine  could  transmit 
a  force  that  would  retard  the  train  until  the  cur- 
rent were  turned  off.  Such  is  the  mental  energy 
that  guides  and  urges  our  life  forward.  When 
it  is  misapplied  it  works  incalculable  damage 
through  thought  currents  turned  upon  ourselves, 
arresting  progress  and  producing  pain. 

We  stumble  to-day  among  the  ant  hills  of  our 
troubles,  and  they  seem  to  us  like  mountains. 
When  we  have  more  fully  perceived  the  meaning 
and  purpose  of  existence  we  will  easily  stride  over 
the  mountains  of  difficulty  and  they  will  appear  to 
us  as  ant  hills. 

Our  higher  consciousness  is  as  yet  but  very  im- 
perfectly developed.  Even  our  sense  life  is  in  its 
infancy.       We    are    not  capable    of   experiencing 


122  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIl.. 

pleasure  or  pain  but  to  a  very  limited  extent  be- 
cause of  our  shallow  consciousness.  The  higher 
the  scale  of  organization  the  wider  is  the  range 
of  its  perceptions. 

The  sensations  of  a  jelly-fish  are  doubtless  very 
limited.  As  man  grows  in  refinement  he  becomes 
constantly  capable  of  deeper  suffering  or  higher 
joy,  and  with  larger  capacity  of  pain  and  pleasure 
comes  a  larger  power  of  endurance  and  control. 

There  is  no  point  at  which  the  vibrations  of  dis- 
tress caTinot  be  changed  to  satisfaction  and  glad- 
ness. There  is  no  situation  of  discomfort  possible 
to  mortal  life  that  is  absolutely  beyond  remedy. 

Our  dominions  can  be  more  easily  extended 
than  we  are  ready  to  believe.  While  we  continue 
as  dwellers  in  the  kingdom  of  fear  we  are  fettered. 
But  we  have  manacled  ourselves.  We  can  break 
the  shackles,  cross  the  borders,  and  possess  our 
own. 

The  sovereignty  of  man  is  never  realized  till 
he  has  become  obedient  to  the  spiritual  nature 
and  vowed  allegiance  to  his  higher  self,  whose 
voice  is  always  calling  to  him,  "  Friend,  go  up 
higher."  It  is  only  in  such  obedience  that  man 
gains  knowledge  of  the  "  secret  of  the  Most 
High." 

The  feeble  flicker  of  purpose  which  most  men 
designate  their  "will"  is  an  impulse  that  is  soon 
expended  and  accomplishes  nothing  beyond  merely 


WILL.  123 

personal  ends.  Selfishness  dissipates  power.  It 
scatters  energy  that,  rightly  concentrated  and 
applied,  would  bring  magnificent  results.  Egotism 
asserts  itself  as  much  in  fear  as  vanity;  as  much 
in  indolence  as  activity.  Any  anxious  thought 
related  to  the  personal  self  shows  lack  of  true 
polarity  of  mind. 

A  sluggish  mind  refuses  to  accept  a  new  idea 
that  emphasizes  personal  responsibility,  and  calls 
for  change  of  habit.  Self-indulgence  is  the  greatest 
obstacle  to  progress.  Men  do  not  wish  to  be 
awakened.  They  demand  a  deeper  slumber  and 
find  their  opiates  in  sensuality,  until  some  hour 
of  severer  suffering  arouses  them  to  better  things 
in  order  to  escape  from  pain. 

The  law  which  has  produced  the  pain  demands 
their  confidence  and  their  complete  surrender  to 
its  remedial  action.  It  insists  upon  entire  willing- 
ness to  do  or  not  to  do  whatever  may  be  neces- 
sary to  bring  the  sufferer  into  accord  with  his 
best  impulses.  He  must  cease  to  exert  his  in- 
genuity and  will  in  building  intrenchments  of 
excuses  behind  which  to  defend  himself.  There 
is  no  trouble  of  body  or  environment;  no  anxiety 
or  grief  that  walls  one  in  without  some  door  of 
escape  into  the  realms  of  perfect  peace. 

Every  fresh  revelation  of  science  is  new  demon- 
stration of  the  marvellous  and  absolute  precision 
of  Nature's  methods,  tending  always  to  perfection 


124  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

of  its  forms  and  purposes.  We  are  turning  the 
pages  of  Nature's  primers  now  more  rapidly  than 
ever  before,  and  find  in  every  line  the  evidence  of 
silent  energies  of  an  infinite  power. 

The  master  mind  which  built  the  great  dome 
of  St.  Peter's  showed  itself  also  in  the  careful 
detail  of  form  and  color  on  the  walls.  Every  deli- 
cate touch  of  brush  or  pencil  was  as  necessary  to 
the  finished  picture  as  that  of  the  chisel  to  the 
columns  and  foundation  stones.  Muscle  alone 
could  never  have  raised  this  superb  masonry.  It 
is  a  monument  to  mind  and  will.  The  mind  not 
only  designed  its  architecture,  paintings,  and  sculp- 
ture, but  also  the  machinery  which  supplemented 
muscle,  and  made  the  whole  achievement  possible 
by  raising  each  stone  to  its  place  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  will. 

Imagine  a  pilgrim  throwing  his  arms  about  one 
of  the  columns  in  the  vain  delusion  that  he  was 
helping  to  support  the  roof!  Such  egotism  we 
would  call  insanity.  It  is  akin  to  that  which 
prides  itself  upon  its  value  to  mankind  in  some 
private  or  public  station  of  temporary  responsi- 
bility, and  dreams  itself  a  pillar  of  society  or 
church  or  government. 

Again  imagine  our  pilgrim  sleeping  in  his  rags 
amid  the  beauties  of  the  temple,  insensible  to  all 
the  grandeur!  Yet  in  such  lethargy  do  many 
live  so  far  as  thought-life  is  concerned,  and  even 


WTLL.  I  2  5 

think  themselves  intelligent.  The  very  drowsiness 
of  our  ragged  pilgrim  is  increased  by  the  incense 
and  the  organ  and  the  chanting  of  the  choirs,  and 
all  those  things  which  stir  to  very  ecstasy  a  nobler 
and  more  developed  mind. 

It  would  be  a  very  easy  matter  for  Nature  with 
her  varied  energies  to  put  us  all  in  full  possession 
of  the  highest  degree  of  health  and  opulence. 
The  very  gentlest  application  of  her  forces  would 
quickly  remove  any  obstruction  in  our  circulation 
or  surroundings. 

And,  indeed,  she  urges  all  this  upon  us  in  every 
possible  way,  and  stands  ever  waiting  patiently  for 
our  acceptance  of  her  benefits. 

The  only  power  that  is  sufficient  to  divert  or 
misdirect  this  energy  is  man's  own  mistaken 
thought.  It  is  our  privilege  to  hold  ourselves  in 
any  uncomfortable  attitude  toward  life  our  regal 
will  may  choose.  We  cannot  break  Nature's 
laws,  but  we  may  regulate  our  private  relation  to 
them. 

We  are  like  passengers  in  a  railway  train  or  on 
an  ocean  steamer.  The  carriage  moves  smoothly 
upon  its  rails.  The  ship  sails  steadily  upon  its 
course.  The  traveller  may  enjoy  the  scenes 
through  which  he  passes :  the  beauty  of  the  land- 
scape or  the  glory  of  the  waters.  He  may  open 
wide  his  window  and  watch  all  the  changing  pan- 
orama as  he   speeds  along,  or  he    may  draw  his 


126  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

blinds  and  close  his  eyes,  complaining  bitterly  of 
his  surroundings,  and  inducing  the  greatest  possi- 
ble discomfort,  so  that  the  hours  pass  without 
pleasure  or  profit.  Meanwhile  the  great  engines 
carry  him  forward  and  the  incidents  of  the  journey 
are  of  consequence  mainly  to  the  traveller  himself. 
His  mental  attitude  has  not  hindered  to  the  least 
degree  the  regular  action  of  the  powerful  ma- 
chinery. It  has  only  made  his  own  day  miserable 
through  infirmity  of  will. 

When  a  man  is  wrecked  upon  an  unknown 
island  he  goes  to  work  to  cultivate  the  soil  and 
make  the  best  of  his  resources  as  if  the  place 
were  to  be  his  residence  for  life. 

Our  disappointments  and  misfortunes  often 
strand  us  where  we  find  no  opportunity  to  sail 
away.  Our  boats  are  all  destroyed  and  nothing  is 
left  but  to  explore  our  undiscovered  selves.  Until 
we  are  cut  off  from  the  distractions  of  our  usual  oc- 
cupations and  sense  lives,  it  is  easy  to  neglect  the 
richest  opportunities  which  lie  the  closest  to  our 
hand.  We  mistake,  perhaps,  for  desert  soil  that 
which  contains  the  possibilities  of  largest  fruit- 
fulness. 

If  we  are  passing  through  what  seems  to  be  a 
wilderness  let  us  go  to  work  to  fertilize  a  garden 
in  the  sand. 

It  will  open  to  us  a  new  field  of  spiritual  botany 
and  give  us  the  satisfaction  of  discoverers. 


WILL.  127 

It  is  better  always  to  lose  sight  of  our  troubles 
as  quickly  as  possible  and  let  them  die  through 
neglect  than  to  prolong  their  lives  by  careful  nurs- 
ing. We  can  easily  find  plenty  of  others  if  we 
wish  at  any  time  to  fill  their  places,  for  "  the  woods 
are  full  of  them." 

Some  people  would  be  actually  lonesome  with- 
out the  difficulties  they  have  nursed  so  long  and 
carefully.  In  many  cases  they  are  seriously  dis- 
turbed if  any  attempt  is  made  to  show  them  that 
it  is  not  necessary  to  extend  a  lengthened  hospi- 
tality to  trouble.  Trouble  will  leave  us  when  we 
decline  to  contribute  to  its  support.  If  it  has 
failed  to  arouse  our  highest  will  and  only  taught 
us  lessons  of  endurance,  it  has  not  yet  accom- 
plished its  full  mission.  Endurance  should  not 
be  the  aim  of  life.     There  is  a  higher  gospel. 

We  often  fancy  ourselves  spiritual  when  we  are 
only  weakly  sentimental.  Our  emotions  have 
perhaps  been  stirred  and  made  us  restless  in  our 
dream  life.  We  have  not  been  awakened  to  posi- 
tive action,  or  the  perception  of  real  principle. 

There  are  many  "  castles  in  Spain  "  which  are 
patterned  after  metaphysical  architecture.  There 
are  many  who  call  themselves  seekers  after  truth 
who  are  only  following  new  lines  of  amusement 
without  serious  purpose. 

The  day  will  come  to  all  of  us  when  our  work 
will  be  tried  by  fire  and  flood,  and  even  Calvinistic 


128  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

hells  may  then  seem  mildly  picturesque  compared 
with  the  experiences  through  which  we  pass. 
When,  after  the  storm,  the  day  star  has  arisen 
above  our  horizon  we  may  know  that  the  night  is 
really  gone  and  the  shadows  can  never  again  be 
quite  as  heavy  as  those  that  lie  behind  us.  What- 
ever difficulties  may  henceforth  await  us,  we  will 
at  least  have  daylight  on  our  path. 

The  morning  always  brings  strength  and  confi- 
dence, and  we  have  seen  the  dawn. 

Every  athlete  knows  that  it  is  the  position  that 
is  oftenest  taken  that  comes  at  last  to  be  the  easiest. 
In  the  higher  training  of  the  will  we  prove  the 
same  thing  to  be  true.  The  constant  holding  of 
the  best  ideals  results  at  last  in  their  complete 
expression. 

Every  climb  we  make  brings  us  to  a  point  of 
greater  elevation  where  we  command  a  larger  view 
with  increased  power  to  control  conditions.  If  there 
is  an  uphill  upon  one  part  of  the  road  we  know  that 
there  is  surely  a  down  grade  on  the  other  side. 

This  is  the  compensating  law  of  difficulty.  Turn 
down  this  page,  discouraged  one,  and  close  the 
book.  Dwell  awhile  upon  this  truth,  for  much 
depends  upon  our  recognition  of  it.  It  is  a  suffi- 
cient lesson  for  a  day  and  night. 

To-morrow  will  bring  a  keener  appetite  and 
larger  vision  if  this  simple  proposition  has  been 
trul}-  learned.     We  can  cheerfully  climb  the  hill 


WILL.  1 29 

to-day  with  the  full  assurance  that  to-morrow  we 
shall  find  the  level.  To-day  we  need  this  training 
of  the  will  in  the  ascent  of  the  hill  of  difficulty. 
We  will  patiently  cut  our  footsteps  in  the  icy  pass, 
if  need  be,  like  the  Alpine  traveller,  and  with  a  brave 
smile  on  our  faces  we  will  go  sturdily  forward  and 
not  frighten  ourselves  by  looking  into  the  dizzy 
depths  below.  In  the  gloom  it  seems  as  if  there 
were  lions  in  our  path,  and  by  the  uncertain  light 
we  do  not  see  that  they  are  chained. 

If  we  are  called  to  wrestle  with  them  we  will 
find  that  man  in  his  divinity  is  far  superior  to 
mere  brute  force.  We  are  here  to  learn  to  over- 
come, and  this  is  our  opportunity.  To  the  victor 
will  belong  the  strength  of  the  slain.  We  will  not 
flinch  in  the  face  of  seeming  danger,  and  often  we 
will  discover  that  it  was  only  our  fears  that  were 
confronting  us. 

A  gamester  does  not  spend  his  time  regretting 
the  hand  that  he  held  yesterday.  He  makes  the 
best  play  he  can  with  the  cards  that  he  holds 
to-day,  and  so  in  every  game  learns  greater  skill. 
How  idle  is  it  for  us  to  weaken  the  will  with 
sorrow  for  our  yesterdays !  The  game  of  life 
demands  our  best  attention  for  to-day  and  the 
full  exercise  of  all  our  powers.  To-morrow 
doubtless  will  bring  opportunities  of  its  own  for 
which  we  must  now  develop  skill  that  we  may 
be   prepared   to   meet  them.     Let  us  give  all  our 


I30  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

thought  to  the  game  in  hand,  though  it  be  only  a 
waiting  game. 

We  need  not  for  one  instant  entertain  the 
thought  that  we  have  been  forgotten  among  the 
players.  We  have  our  special  score  to  play. 
None  other  can  do  it  for  us.  Why  not  study  well 
the  cards  wc  hold  and  lay  them  down  with  confi- 
dence and  equanimity?  There  is  sure  sometime 
to  be  another  deal.  In  the  next  cut  we  will  get 
a  better  hand  if  we  have  proved  ourselves  entitled 
to  it.  Meanwhile  the  greatest  skill  may  be  shown 
by  him  who  does   not  hold  the  highest  cards. 

It  is  the  man  of  trained  and  fearless  will  that 
wins  the  honors  in  the  game  of  life,  although 
his  real  success  may  not  be  known  to  men. 
Strength  of  will  is  shown  as  much  in  renunciation 
as  in  conquest.  The  greatest  victory  is  often  in 
the  yielding. 

Thought-life  is  of  higher  importance  than  con- 
duct. When  we  have  gained  control  of  thought 
right  action  is  a  consequence.  We  often  dwell 
too  much  upon  the  matter  of  conduct  and  too  little 
upon  the  mental  cause  behind  it.  When  the  will 
has  been  purified  and  strengthened  the  impulses 
will  be  symmetrical  and  true. 

A  wise  man  never  quarrels  with  his  troubles. 
Such  indulgence  will  intensify  and  prolong  the 
difficulty.  All  impatience  proves  the  need  of 
suffering. 


WILL.  I  3  I 

Nature  readily  responds  to  every  mood  with 
which  we  greet  her. 

The  heavens  seem  as  brass  to  us  when  we  look 
up  to  them  with  despair,  or  as  the  gates  of  Para- 
dise when  our  feeling  is  one  of  gladness. 

Dynamite  and  giant  powder  may  be  handled 
without  suspicion  of  the  fact  that  they  are  power- 
ful explosives.  There  is  nothing  in  their  appear- 
ance to  suggest  their  force  or  use.  Under  certain 
conditions  they  are  wholly  ineftective  and  may 
remain  for  years  without  indication  of  their  latent 
power. 

No  chemical  compound  can  compare  with  the 
energy  of  the  will  that  brought  its  elements  to- 
gether. There  is  no  conceivable  ideal  of  power 
which  the  human  mind  cannot  express.  There  is 
no  such  thing  as  "  physical  weakness  "  or  "  muscular 
force,"  as  an  eminent  Harvard  physicist  has  lately 
said.  All  power  is  expressed  first  through  mind. 
All  life  is  robust.  Every  man  is  stalwart.  This 
is  realized  to  just  the  degree  in  which  we  take 
our  personal  conceits  "  out  of  the  paths  of  the 
divine  circuits." 

We  demand  continually  that  our  senses  shall 
be  gratified  with  "  demonstration,"  and  all  the 
time  the  soul  is  showing  its  power  in  the  tran- 
quil waiting  to  which  we  have  compelled  it,  for  it 
knows  that  in  reality  a  thousand  years  are  as  a 
single  day. 


132  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

God  is  always  at  our  service.  The  divine  cir- 
cuits flow  perpetually.  The  path  of  life  is  always 
open  and  hides  no  obstacles  nor  hindrances.  It  is 
due  to  our  distorted  vision  that  we  see  "  giants 
in  Canaan,"  and  in  their  sight  we  think  we  are  as 
grasshoppers. 

Disease  is  the  result  of  hypnotism  —  the  hypno- 
tism of  an  idea  imposed  by  one's  own  thought 
—  auto-suggestion  —  or  transmitted  to  it  through 
the  mind  of  another.  This  is  true  of  any  condition 
that  holds  us  in  bondage.  Absolute  freedom  is  our 
birthright.  No  one  can  deprive  us  of  it  without 
our  consent,  although  we  may  have  given  that 
consent  unconsciously. 

We  can  throw  off  any  undesirable  condition 
when  we  have  recognized  the  truth  that  we  possess 
intelligence  and  power  sufficient  for  all  our  needs. 
When  we  set  the  will  in  motion  it  will  find  effect- 
ual relief.  But  often  we  make  it  necessary  that 
we  should  be  stripped  of  all  other  possessions  be- 
fore we  enter  into  self-possession. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  of  hypnotism  that  the  subject 
is  generally  deaf  to  all  sounds  but  the  voice  of  the 
operator  who  controls  him. 

A  cannon  fired  close  to  the  ear  would  not  be 
noticed  in  the  hypnotic  trance  if  the  operator  chose 
to  close  the  sense  of  hearing.  Nevertheless,  from 
out  the  silence  at  the  same  command  the  subject 
fancies  that  he  hears   sweet  music,   and  he   obeys 


WILL.  133 

readily  the  slightest  whisper  of  the  one  who  holds 
his  senses  captive.  But  even  in  hypnotism  the  will 
must  first  consent  before  it  can  be  fettered,  for  if 
it  once  asserts  its  power  none  other  can  control  it. 

All  impatience  is  an  expression  of  fear.  It  is 
the  mark  of  a  defective  will  that  has  not  gained 
self-control.  "  I  am  afraid  "  is  a  false  note  that 
we  use  daily  on  the  most  trivial  occasions. 

It  is  easy  to  exaggerate  our  troubles.  An 
unwelcome  demand  is  made  upon  our  time.  It 
may  be  a  very  modest  and  reluctant  appeal,  but 
to  our  inflamed  mental  vision  it  appears  as  a  robber 
standing  in  our  path  demanding  money  or  life. 
The  few  minutes  or  hours  which  would  easily 
suffice  for  the  required  service  seem  a  most  un- 
pleasant interruption  to  our  usual  and  more  de- 
sired occupations. 

A  call  is  made  upon  our  purse.  We  know  at 
heart  that  we  should  view  it  as  a  privilege  to  make 
a  prompt  and  glad  response. 

Our  sense  of  duty  will  not  permit  us,  perhaps,  to 
pass  it  by,  and  we  bestow  a  petty  contribution 
grudgingly.  Through  failure  of  the  will  to  obey 
its  highest  impulse  the  action  has  flowered  without 
fragrance.  We  have  robbed  ourselves  of  spiritual 
enjoyment  and  missed  an  opportunity  of  growth. 

How  long  shall  we  continue  to  indulge  our 
lower  nature  and  foster  the  delusions  of  loss  and 
trouble  for  which  we  ourselves  are    responsible  ? 


134  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 

The  flagellants  of  eastern  countries,  who  torture 
themselves  with  the  lash  in  their  fanaticism,  are  no 
more  cruel  to  their  tender  flesh  than  we  in  our 
impatience  to  the  sufl"ering  soul.  We  worship 
our  own  selfishness  with  every  hour  of  self  pity. 
Note  the  action  of  the  law  of  retributive  justice. 
When  we  have  been  crippled  by  illness,  we  remem- 
ber in  our  helplessness  that  in  our  robust  health 
we  were  parsimonious  of  time.  When  we  have  be- 
come bankrupt  in  purse,  we  recall  many  a  timid 
appeal  to  which  we  wish  we  had  given  a  more 
ready  ear. 

Thus  we  expiate  our  selfishness,  compelled  to 
listen  to  petitions  we  are  powerless  to  answer,  or 
to  make  appeals  ourselves,  in  our  own  agony  of 
need,  from  which  others  turn  away. 

It  is  necessary  that  each  should  get  his  lessons 
in  the  way  that  he  himself  shall  choose.  It  often 
seems  to  us  that  some  beloved  one  is  choosing 
painful  ways,  but  true  love  shows  itself  in  a  wise 
silence  quite  as  often  as  in  interference.  It  does 
not  seek  to  control  the  attitude  of  others  toward 
itself.  It  concerns  itself  only  with  its  mental  atti- 
tude toward  others. 

We  should  detach  ourselves  from  the  engross- 
ing thought  of  self.  It  is  of  no  less  importance 
that  we  detach  ourselves  from  the  engrossing 
thought  of  others.  We  are  bound  alike  by  our 
aflections  and  aversions.     Too  great  intensity  of 


WILL.  1 3  5 

thought  will  cramp  and  hinder  us.  Our  affec- 
tions should  be  widened  and  enlarged.  As  they 
become  ennobled  they  grow  less  personal  and  eager. 
They  bring  more   satisfaction   and  less  suffering. 

Aversions  should  be  altogether  rooted  out,  for 
only  our  baser  nature  feeds  on  them,  and  they 
bring  nothing  but  perplexity  and  sorrow.  They 
chain  us  to  the  things  we  most  dislike,  till  we  have 
learned  our  lesson  of  indifference  and  patience. 

The  disciple  who  seeks  peace  and  power  must 
climb  above  the  plane  of  personality,  beyond  the 
surf  of  sensational  life  that  breaks  like  turbulent 
billows  on  the  shore  laden  with  wreckage  and 
debris. 

If  we  recognize  love  as  the  real  force  of  will 
we  will  apply  it  oftener  in  our  social  and  do- 
mestic difficulties.  It  will  save  us  from  much 
useless  "  kicking  against  the  pricks "  which  we 
compel  ourselves  to  suffer  through  our  wilfulness. 
Love  is  never  a  goad.  It  is  a  vigorous  tonic 
which  corrects  the  circulation  without  leaving 
regret  or  lethargy  behind.  We  need  to  remind 
ourselves  sometimes  that  "  love  is  not  easily  pro- 
voked," and  that  our  friend  who  has  erred  is  in 
greater  need  of  true    affection  than  before. 

His  error  may  alter  our  external  relation  to  him, 
but  if  our  love  is  really  faithful  it  will  guide  us 
wisely,  and  enable  us  to  give  the  silent  help  which 
only  a  loving  will  can  render.     Instead  of  striving 


136  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

to  correct  the  outward  manner  of  another,  if  we 
but  hold  a  steady  confidence  in  his  spiritual  nature 
we  will  find  that,  though  the  wonderful  harp  of  a 
thousand  strings  be  dumb  to  every  other  touch, 
it    will  awaken  to  the  touch  of  love. 

A  truly  forceful  will  is  always  gentle,  though  it 
carries  a  strong  hand.  Goodness  and  weakness 
do  not  belong  together.  Real  righteousness  is 
vigorous.  It  is  not  necessary  to  drop  our  own 
eyelids  because  our  neighbor  squints,  or  to  go 
lame  ourselves  because  he  is  a  cripple. 

Wise  charity  is  never  blind.  It  never  lowers  its 
standards,  to  adjust  them  to  the  weakness  of  another. 
The  higher  will  is  vitalized  through  love.  Love 
makes  no  compromise  with  weakness,  but  demands 
that  we  shall  rise  to  our  full  height.  Love  is  not 
blind  nor  feeble.  A  loving  will  is  truly  masterful, 
but  "  seeketh  not  its  own." 


There  is  no  habit  strong  enough  to  dominate  a 
man  against  his  will. 


tVILL.  137 


All  forces  make  us  suffer  till  we  conquer  them. 
Then  they  become  our  willing  and  obedient 
servants.  When  we  work  with  certitude  instead 
of  hope  we  always  arrive  at  positive  results. 


138  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 


We  attract  to  ourselves  whatever  influences  we 
choose. 

Thus  we  fasten  clogs  upon  our  feet,  or  grow  the 
feathers  for  our  wings. 


THE   EVOLUTION  OF  POWER.  I  39 

VII. 

THE   EVOLUTION   OF   POWER. 

That  power  which  the  disciple  shall  covet  is  that  which 
shall  make  him  appear  as  nothing  in  the  eyes  of  men.  — 
"  Light  on  the  Path.'''' 

Behold  I  give  unto  you  power  to  tread  on  serpents  and 
scorpions,  and  over  all  the  power  of  the  enemy,  and  nothing 
shall  by  any  means  hurt  you.  —  yesus. 

Power  is  the  natural  desire  and  instinct  of 
humanity  and  the  chief  attribute  of  all  its  Deities. 

It  is  evolved  only  through  the  awakening  of 
the  soul.  This  attainment  seems  to  be  the  pur- 
pose of  existence  on  the  earth  plane.  All  our 
occupations  aim  at  increase  of  personal  power. 
Men  do  not  really  care  for  the  baubles  of  wealth, 
fame,  and  position  except  as  they  find  in  them 
expression  of  their  interior  forces  or  aids  in  their 
development. 

It  is  power  that  they  seek  to  acquire  and 
manifest. 

The  consciousness  of  power  is  the  greatest  de- 
light of  man.  Its  evolution  is  his  greatest  joy. 
Whether  he  work  in  the  laboratory  or  the  ma- 
chine shop,  at  the  crucible  or  the  bench,  his 
efforts  are  always  for  the  mastery  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  nature,  that  he  may  use  them  in  the 
execution  of  this  purpose. 


140  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

Little  by  little  the  race  is  gaining  knowledge  of 
the  invisible  forces  that  surround  it,  and  learning  to 
harness  them  to  its  will.  We  construct  more  pow- 
erful engines ;  we  generate  stronger  currents  of 
electricity.  We  are  learning  to  overcome  the 
waste  of  power  in  boilers  and  batteries  and  to  direct 
their  energies  with  greater  precision.  As  we 
advance  in  these  fields  our  horizon  broadens  and 
we  discover  continually  finer  elements  of  subtler 
force.  We  find  we  are  but  in  the  alphabet  of 
dynamics.  Every  fresh  discovery  emphasizes  the 
significance  and  value  of  the  will.  Its  training  is 
the  most  important  work  of  life. 

Everything  that  works  in  the  least  degree  to 
neutralize  or  weaken  it  we  should  put  ruthlessly 
away  from  us.  All  unworthy  self-indulgence  is 
suicidal ;  all  mental  indolence  tends  to  devitalize 
the  will ;   all  fear  paralyzes  it. 

Fear  is  the  greatest  enemy  of  power.  When 
we  cling  to  our  fears  they  submerge  our  lives. 

We  have  only  to  let  them  go  to  prove  the  buoy- 
ancy of  nature  which  carries  us  immediately  to 
light  and  air  again  and  shows  us  the  right  course 
of  action.  When  we  know  that  we  embody  and 
express  the  power  of  the  infinite  to  the  extent 
of  our  realization  we  no  longer  waste  our  time 
in  supplication,  but  we  seek  development.  The 
ignorant  savage  implores  his  deity  to  save  him 
from  the  fury  of  an  electric  storm.     The  intelli- 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  POWER.  141 

gent  man  protects  himself  by  putting  a  lightning- 
rod  upon  his  house.  As  we  enlarge  the  province 
of  the  will  through  knowledge  we  narrow  the 
domain  of  prayer.  When  we  learn  our  power  to 
control  the  forces  amid  which  we  live  we  are  no 
longer  suppliants  and  worshippers.  The  more  a 
man  commands  the  less  he  prays.  The  more  he 
indulges  his  indolence  of  will  the  more  prayerful 
he  becomes.  Jesus  did  not  pray  in  the  storm  on 
Galilee.  He  awoke  and  commanded  the  winds 
and  waves.  It  was  only  when  he  had  become 
negative  through  suffering  that  he  implored  that 
the  cup  of  sorrow  might  pass  from  him.  Yet  even 
in  that  hour  he  radiated  force  that  threw  to  the 
ground  the  soldiers  sent  to  arrest  him  and  proved 
that  he  had  power  to  lay  down  the  life  which  no 
man  could  take  from  him  without  his  consent. 

We  often  shirk  the  responsibility  of  deciding 
our  own  lives  and  lay  too  much  stress  upon  appar- 
ent "  leadings." 

It  is  our  privilege  to  determine  what  we  want 
to  do  with  life,  and  every  real  decision  opens  a 
way  to  action.  There  is  a  large  domain  in  which 
we  should  seize  and  hold  with  a  firm  grasp  the 
reins  of  government. 

In  this  realm  the  prayer  of  supplication  is 
impertinence.  We  need  to  rule  and  not  to  beg. 
The  forces  that  we  govern  are  best  developed 
through  obedience  to  our  will. 


142  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

There  is  another  field  in  which  we  ourselves 
should  learn  obedience.  In  this  we  gain  develop- 
ment through  service  of  our  higher  self  and  more 
advanced  intelligences  than  our  own. 

Thus  upon  one  side  of  life  we  need  to  be 
positive  and  govern.  Upon  the  other  side  we 
should  be  negative  and  obey.  We  are  not  suffi- 
ciently clear  in  our  discernment.  We  often  obey 
where  we  ought  to  command,  and  we  sometimes 
command  where  we  ought  to  obey. 

We  must  know  our  power  and  apply  it. 

I  had  an  opportunity  many  years  ago  of  observ- 
ing at  close  range  the  practical  operation  of  these 
principles.  The  Asiatic  cholera  broke  out  in  a 
ship  in  which  I  was  crossing  the  Atlantic.  Many 
of  the  passengers  were  terror-stricken.  They  began 
to  pray  —  and  died.  The  captain  was  profane  and 
forceful.  He  fumigated  the  ship  —  and  lived.  His 
only  time  of  danger  was  when,  for  a  few  days, 
under  the  pressure  of  fear,  he  too  became  prayer- 
ful. But  his  strong  trained  will  asserted  itself  and 
his  pious  mood  soon  proved  to  be  intermittent. 
It  was  a  passing  phase  of  weakness. 

His  profanity  was  but  the  customary  expression 
of  his  impulsive  nature,  open  to  objection  on  the 
grounds  of  taste,  but  still  an  evidence  of  innate 
energy  in  which  lay  his  salvation  from  the  danger 
of  the  hour.  Realization  of  divine  energy  does  not 
make  of  us  weak  petitioners. 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  POWER.  143 

In  the  evolution  of  power  we  must  dismiss  all 
anxious  thought  of  how  we  appear  to  others. 

Loyalty  to  our  own  convictions  demands  of  us 
that  we  should  not  entertain  an  artificial  desire  to 
please  or  live  according  to  other  standards  than 
our  own. 

We  must  choose,  in  every  relation,  whether  we 
shall  rule  or  serve.  Where  we  choose  rightly  we 
gain  power.  Wherein  we  err  we  suffer  loss. 
Sensitiveness  to  criticism  is  evidence  of  infirmity 
of  purpose.  It  springs  from  selfishness  and  shows 
a  lack  of  self-reliance.  It  is  often  disguised  as 
conscientiousness,  but  is  always  a  mark  of  egotism 
and  vanity. 

All  self-consciousness  is  selfishness.  It  is  pecu- 
liarly characteristic  of  what  is  called  a  critical  mind. 

The  problem  of  the  individual  life  is  not  pri- 
marily how  to  do  the  most  good  to  others :  it 
is  how  to  unfold  and  rule  itself.  In  this  proc- 
ess one  evolves  the  power  which  proves  help- 
ful. Service  is  the  best  school  of  development. 
Helpfulness  to  others  is  an  instinct  of  human- 
ity. 

If  one  falls  in  the  street,  how  many  hands  are 
impulsively  extended  to  lift  him  to  his  feet ! 

If  a  horse  finds  his  load  beyond  his  strength, 
how  quickly  passers-by  will  put  their  willing 
shoulders  to  the  wheel ! 

If  property  is  mislaid  or  lost  it  becomes  at  once 


144  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

the  self-imposed  mission  of  others  to  recover  and 
restore  it  to  its  rightful  owners. 

If  one  gains  for  himself  new  knowledge,  how 
naturally  he  seeks  those  to  whom  he  can  communi- 
cate it ! 

All  service  is  privileged  opportunity,  which 
gives  us  exercise  for  our  growing  faculties. 

Every  man  possesses  a  universe  of  his  own. 

The  human  being  conforms  marvellously  in  its 
essential  construction  and  movements  to  the  planet 
and  the  planetary  system.  It  has  its  vital  centres, 
each  with  its  own  radius.  It  combines  the  ele- 
ments of  earth,  air,  fire,  and  water,  which  permeate 
all  its  life.  It  has  its  miniature  oceans,  continents, 
and  rivers,  its  fruitful  and  waste  places.  The 
base  of  existence  is  the  atom,  molecule,  and  single 
cell.  Every  atom  doubtless  has  its  own  intelli- 
gent purpose.  It  is  combined  with  conscious  life, 
unrecognized,  perhaps,  by  the  central  mind,  and 
classified  as  the  subconscious  self,  which  only 
means  the  unexplored. 

To  bring  into  harmony  and  obedience  to  our 
own  supreme  will  all  this  atomic  life  is  to  win  the 
kingdom  we  were  born  to  rule.  To  carry  our 
highest  spiritual  consciousness  into  these  subordi- 
nate realms  is  a  task  worthy  our  attention  through 
many  successive  periods  of  embodiment.  Millions 
of  entities  unrecognized  by  material  science  await 
unfoldment   through    the    human    relations  which 


THE   EVOLUTION  OF  POWER.  145 

make  us  their  masters.  They  are  the  squires  of 
our  knighthood.     It  is  their  delight  to  serve  us. 

We  are  but  larger  atoms  of  a  higher  organiza- 
tion, as  our  planet  is  but  one  globe  of  a  system 
that  itself  revolves  around  the  central  sun  of  a 
larger  universe. 

We  are  as  blood  corpuscles  of  a  grand  universal 
man.  The  organization  of  life  is  perfect.  Every 
molecule""  is  rightly  placed. 

Before  our  work  in  the  flesh  can  be  complete, 
we  must  control  all  processes  of  nature  and  master 
death  itself. 

We  have  not  yet  mapped  out  our  heavens ;  we 
have  not  explored  our  continents ;  we  have  not 
fathomed  our  oceans.  We  do  not  understand  our 
resources.  Science  has  found  an  energy  of  five 
hundred  horse  power  in  a  cubic  inch  of  space.  We 
cannot  imagine  limits  of  the  power  contained  in 
human  brain  and  body. 

We  find  ourselves  flushed  or  chilled  by  sudden 
thought.  Why  not  govern  our  temperature  at  will, 
and  learn  the  secret  of  adapting  ourselves  to  all 
atmospheres  without  depending  upon  fuel  to  pro- 
duce the  heat  or  ice  the  coolness  we  require? 

Through  spiritual  intelligence  alone  comes  the 
development  of  perceptions  which  pierce  the  fogs 
of  materialism  and  reveal  the  broad  range  of 
human  possibilities.  Spiritual  wisdom  makes  us 
seers  and  puts  us  in  command  of  Nature's  forces, 


146  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

making  possible  the  best  results  upon  all  planes  of 
action. 

It  is  one  of  the  theories  of  evolutionists  that  the 
discovery  of  a  need  by  the  animal  has  been  in- 
variably followed  by  the  development  of  the 
organ  required  to  supply  it;  that  the  organic  and 
sense  life  has  been  a  matter  of  slow  growth  through 
recognition  of  the  necessities  in  its  environment. 

Thus  we  see  that  organized  life  has  come  through 
mind. 

Is  it  then  so  difficult  to  believe  that  the  force 
that  has  constructed  should  control  and  maintain 
the  organs  it  has  provided,  and  even  replace  them 
at  need?  We  find  that  some  of  the  lower  animals 
possess  this  power  of  rehabilitation.  In  mental  sci- 
ence it  is  apparent  every  day  that  organic  disease 
is  as  readily  relieved  as  nervous  disturbance,  and 
chronic  troubles  yield  as  easily  as  acute  disorders 
without  regard  to  the  length  of  time  they  have 
prevailed,  or  to  the  advanced  age  of  the  sufferer. 

If  life  or  anything  related  to  it  is  a  gift,  what  be- 
comes of  the  theory  of  evolution?  Is  it  not  a  rea- 
sonable belief  that  what  is  true  of  the  plant  is  true 
of  man,  and  life  is  growth  from  seed  to  fruit  in  oft- 
repeated  and  ever  varying  incarnations  ?  Where 
is  the  gift  to  vegetable  life  but  the  soil  and  sun- 
light in  which  they  grow  ?  —  and  even  these  they 
have  appropriated  for  themselves  through  the  law 
of  vibratory  affinity. 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  POWER.  1 47 

The  rose  and  the  chrysanthemum  have  required 
many  reembodiments  to  bring  them  to  their  pres- 
ent size  and  great  variety  of  tint,  and  each  has  pre- 
pared the  way  for  that  which  followed. 

All  evolution  is  an  awakening  to  higher  reali- 
zation. The  new  perception  demands  expression 
and  creates  new  forms  for  its  use. 

Discovery,  desire,  and  development  are  the  suc- 
cessive steps  of  progress. 

It  is  recognition  and  not  time  that  is  the  essen- 
tial element  of  growth.  This  is  the  healing  prin- 
ciple which  brings  improved  conditions  in  the  body 
and  control  of  the  surroundings. 

There  is  no  suffering  from  want  or  weakness  but 
that  which  comes  from  lack  of  understanding. 

What  more  could  we  ask  for  our  happiness 
than  the  knowledge  that  we  are  creators  and  sov- 
ereigns? 

We  have  only  to  take  possession,  and  all  the 
universe    proclaims,  "  Long  live  the  king !  " 

It  is  ours  to  choose  whether  we  will  be  subjected 
to  the  action  of  the  law  of  material  gravitation 
which  draws  downward  or  to  that  of  spiritual 
levitation  which  draws  upward.  Not  only  do  we 
elect  but  we  operate  these  laws  in  our  own  being. 
Trouble  cannot  be  kept  away  when  we  persistently 
attract  it;  nor  can  prosperity,  nor  health,  nor 
happiness. 

No  sense  of  disappointment  is  ever  possible  to 


148  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

him  who  has  attuned  himself  to  the  true  keynote 
of  existence. 

Selfishness  is  the  heart  failure  of  our  spiritual  life. 

Thoughts  which  spring  from  personality  and  re- 
late to  that  alone  inevitably  obstruct  the  spiritual 
vision. 

Until  we  have  purged  ourselves  from  every  form 
of  personal  selfishness  we  cannot  become  channels 
for  the  free  and  unimpeded  flow  of  universal  good 
and  wisdom. 

The  freedom  which  we  gain  from  truth  is  free- 
dom from  all  care  of  self  —  the  loosing  of  our 
bonds  of  egotism.  Purification  of  character  comes 
through  the  experiences  which  seem  to  scorch  and 
blister  in  their  intensity  of  suffering.  They  are 
deeply  grievous  in  the  present  hour.  All  smelt- 
ing and  refining  of  ores  and  all  chemical  distilla- 
tion require  concentration  of  heat.  The  furnace 
and  the  crucible  must  be  raised  to  the  highest 
degree  of  power. 

Gethsemanc  and  the  "  Via  Dolorosa  "  precede 
Calvary.  Afterward  comes  the  resurrection,  and 
after  resurrection  ascension.  Let  us  remember 
in  our  trial  the  "  Nevertheless,  afterward,"  when 
the  peaceable  fruit  of  righteousness  is  ripened. 
Our  angels  are  always  with  us  in  the  wilderness, 
and  though  we  may  be  isolated  for  the  moment 
and  endure  the  dreary  sense  of  loneliness  and  deso- 
lation we  will  be  comforted  abundantly. 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  POWER.  1 49 

Before  we  are  fully  crucified  our  sorrows  have 
pierced  hands  and  feet,  head  and  heart.  We  can 
no  longer  go  whither  we  would.  We  cannot  reach 
for  what  we  want.  We  wear  the  crown  of  thorns 
and  from  our  wounded  side  flow  the  life  currents. 
Thus  bruised  and  sore  we  learn  the  lesson  of  love, 
learn  to  receive  and  learn  to  give.  We  no  longer 
selfishly  desire  to  accumulate  and  to  hold.  We  are 
willing  to  let  go  without  reserve,  trusting  to  the 
influx  of  the  superabundant  life  into  which  we 
enter  through  the  spiritual  birth. 

The  personal  man  exists  no  longer,  but  from  his 
sepulchre  the  stone  is  rolled  away  and  the  higher 
self  steps  forth  as  master  of  all  conditions  of  exist- 
ence, which  can  never  bring  him  hurt  or  hindrance. 

In  the  darkest  hour  of  the  crucifixion  we  hear 
the  old-time  challenge :  "  He  saved  others,  him- 
self he  cannot  save.  Let  him  now  come  down 
from  the  cross  and  we  will  believe  in  him." 

Stretched  upon  our  cruel  cross  of  poverty  or 
illness  from  which  we  have  not  yet  found  deliver- 
ance, is  it  necessary  that  this  last  thorn  should 
be  pressed  upon  the  brow,  this  last  nail  driven 
through  the  helpless  limbs,  this  last  drop  drained 
from  the  cup  of  suffering?  And  yet  the  challenge 
is  a  just  one. 

It  will  be  fully  met  and  answered.  But  Calvary 
must  needs  be  first.  It  lies  in  every  path  to  a 
true  throne. 


150  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

One  does  not  "  come  down  "  from  a  cross.  He 
mounts  upon  it  as  a  stepping-stone  to  higher 
things,  careless  whether  others  beHeve  on  him  or 
not,  so  long  as  he  finds  the  way  of  light. 

It  is  only  through  the  baptism  of  pain  that  we 
become  the  helpers  of  troubled  ones  —  only 
through  drinking  of  this  cup  that  we  share  in  the 
redemption  of  the  world. 

We  shall  be  entering  soon  upon  a  new  century. 
It  opens  an  era  of  new  thought. 

We  are  drawing  scattered  forces  to  a  focus. 
We  are  killing  out  the  sense  of  separateness  in 
human  life  and  studying  with  more  profound 
interest  the  problem  of  unity.  The  development 
of  individuality  goes  hand  in  hand  with  deeper 
consciousness  of  universal  sympathies.  In  all  the 
arts  and  sciences,  in  mechanics  and  in  literature,  we 
seek  simplicity  and  fundamental  principles,  indiffer- 
ent to  the  destruction  of  time-honored  theories  and 
ignorant  beliefs. 

The  religious  teachers  of  the  past  have  drawn 
sharp  lines  of  distinction  between  God  and  man, 
time  and  eternity.  They  have  talked  of  the 
"  saved  "  and  the  "  lost,"  the  "  Christian  "  and  the 
"  heathen,"  the  "  here  "  and  the  "  hereafter." 
They  have  localized  heaven  and  hell,  separated 
soul  from  body,  spirit  from  matter,  the  universal 
from  the  particular.  Life  was  considered  as  some- 
thing   quite    apart    from    death.     Minerals,   vege- 


THE  EVOLUTIOK   OF  POWER.  151 

tables,  and  "  dumb  beasts  "  had  no  share  in  the 
intelligence  and  soul-life  of  the  human  being. 

Let  us  glance  at  some  of  the  changes  wrought 
in  spiritual  chemistry  through  the  propositions  of 
new  thought: 

Humanity  is  itself  divine. 

All  men  are  the  sons  of  God. 

Time  and  eternity  are  one. 

Heaven  and  hell  are  ever  present  with  us  as 
mental  experiences. 

All  life  is  sacred.  All  days  and  occupations  are 
holy  when  governed  by  loving  purpose. 

"  Death  does  not  differ  at  all  from  life,"  as  was 
taught  by  Thales  six  centuries  before  the  Christian 
era. 

One  life  pervades  all  kingdoms,  varying  only  in 
degree  of  unfoldment,  and  continually  progressing 
in  all  toward  higher  types. 

In  one  of  the  art  galleries  of  the  city  are  two 
paintings  called  "  The  Old  Navy  and  the  New." 

One  is  a  picture  of  the  frigate  "  Constitution," 
the  other  of  the  battleship  "  Massachusetts  "  — 
showing  something  of  the  changes  made  in  naval 
vessels  since  the  early  part  of  the  century.  The 
points  of  contrast  offer  an  illustration  of  the  changed 
thought  of  the  present  day. 

The  name  of  the  new  ship  is  individualized. 
The  bulk  is  reduced  from  the  old  model.  The 
great  spread  of  canvas  has  disappeared. 


152  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

The  dimensions  are  altered,  and  every  line  is 
one  of  grace  and  beauty. 

The  hull  is  steel,  the  driving  power  steam  and 
electricity.      Speed  has  been  greatly  increased. 

The  port  holes  are  much  smaller,  and  the  guns 
of  finer  calibre,  while  more  eftective  in  their  range 
and  power,  and  far  beyond  the  boldest  expecta- 
tions in  the  gunnery  of  a  hundred  years  ago. 

In  the  interior  furnishings  the  incandescent 
lamp  has  taken  the  place  of  sperm  oil.  All  the 
nautical  appliances  show  the  great  advance  of 
science. 

The  food  and  clothes  of  sailors  and  marines  are 
of  a  quality  unknown  to  those  who  manned  the 
"  Constitution."  The  standard  requirements  of  the 
officers  are  much  higher  than  those  of  former 
days. 

With  all  these  changes  we  find  the  same  ensign 
at  the  peak,  and  pennant  at  the  fore,  but  the  starry 
field  shows  a  larger  and  grander  union  of  States 
than  was  included  in  the  plans  of  the  early  pa- 
triots. 

There  is  not  much  in  common  between  the  hut 
of  the  Congo  African  and  the  palace  of  a  merchant 
prince  of  the  Western  world.  They  both  have 
roof  and  walls,  with  the  simple  object  of  a  shelter. 
In  very  similar  relations  stand  the  old  and  new 
thoughts  of  God. 

The  materials  and  the  architecture  are  unlike, 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  POWER.  153 

but  both  are  based  on  the  idea  of  a  protecting 
power. 

In  the  material  existence  we  get  only  a  glimpse 
of  the  eternal  verities,  and  often  fail  to  understand 
the  connection  with  the  present  day  between  what 
has  gone  before  and  that  which  follows. 

It  is  impossible  to  make  an  extreme  statement 
of  any  truth,  for  the  reason  that  our  highest  con- 
ception must  fall  far  short  of  the  reality. 

We  cannot  overestimate  the  power  or  benevo- 
lence of  the  forces  amid  which  we  are  developing 
our  spiritual  nature. 

In  our  fear  of  being  thought  "  visionary  "  we  are 
in  danger  of  digging  our  ground  anchors  so  deep 
into  the  earth  that  we  will  be  held  captive  to 
the  material  life.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  when  our 
cables  have  been  cut  or  broken  through  some 
sobering  experience  we  sometimes  drift  away  into 
the  clouds  forgetful  of  the  attractions  that  once 
absorbed  us?  Is  it  strange  that  in  our  unfamiliarity 
with  the  regions  of  higher  thought  we  sometimes 
become  bewildered  and  seem  to  hang  betwixt 
two  worlds,  unwilling  to  return  to  the  old  levels, 
yet  ignorant  of  the  way  to  pierce  the  clouds  and 
rise  into  the  clearer  atmosphere  beyond?  Perhaps 
there  are  few  disciples  of  new  thought  that  have 
not  at  some  point  of  their  progress  found  them- 
selves in  such  perplexity. 

The    only   escape    from   the    dilemma  is  to  go 


154  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

Still  higher  to  where  a  brighter  outlook  will  be 
found. 

Pleasure'  or  power  is  the  choice  presented  to 
us.     Our  greatest  obstacles  are  indolence  and  fear. 

We  allow  ourselves  to  be  deluded  with  the 
thought  that  our  necessities  on  the  material  or  in- 
tellectual plane  make  spiritual  activity  impossible 
and  excuse  us  from  all  responsibility  for  poverty 
in  better  things.  How  easy  to  throw  the  blame  on 
"  circumstances  "  ! 

Power  comes  only  through  entire  obedience  to 
the  highest  law  with  which  we  are  familiar.  While 
we  fulfil  the  law  of  love  in  all  our  thoughts  and 
actions  we  cannot  fail  to  grow.  Nothing  but  an 
unloving  life  can  hinder  us. 

We  are  not  suffering  from  inability  or  lack  of 
knowledge,  but  from  failure  of  purpose.  The 
weakest  individual  has  more  knowledge  and  power 
than  he  ever  applies  to  use.  As  we  enlarge  ex- 
pression we  open  new  vistas  of  truth.  The  highest 
force  is  not  imattainable  because  of  our  being 
human,  but  because  our  selfishness  would  make  it 
dangerous  to  ourselves  and  others.  W^e  are  sus- 
picious of  what  we  do  not  understand.  This  is 
why  the  possession  of  spiritual  power  makes  one 
appear  as  nothing  in  the  eyes  of  men.  The  true 
disciple  does  not  turn  bread  into  stone  and  multiply 
loaves  and  fishes  for  his  material  gratification  or 
to  satisfy  the  curiosity  of  the  multitude,  hence  he 


THE  E  VOL  UTION  OF  PO  WER.  I  5  5 

is  regarded  with  dislike.  He  lives  a  life  apart  from 
the  contentions  of  the  market  and  the  forum,  but 
deals  with  forces  that  would  easily  govern  both. 

Power  over  power  is  what  Jesus  promised  to  his 
followers.  Such  comes  only  to  the  man  who  has 
completely  mastered  himself,  and  its  possessor 
is  invincible. 

When  we  understand  love  as  a  force  and  not  a 
weakness,  we  find  in  it  the  very  key  to  everlasting 
power.  Nothing  can  successfully  oppose  us  when 
we  have  identified  ourselves  with  the  Supreme 
Love.  Self-love  is  an  inverted  force,  and  becomes 
destructive.  It  is  the  impulse  in  all  suicide  and 
crime.  Infinite  goodness  cannot  play  the  tyrant, 
even  to  save  us  from  ourselves. 

Mental  causes  seem  remote  and  insufficient  to 
produce  results  from  which  we  sufter.  But  when 
we  have  acquainted  ourselves  with  the  laws  of 
thought,  we  are  often  able  to  trace  their  action 
more  clearly  than  that  of  drugs  in  chemistry. 

Every  evil  feeds  upon  antagonism.  Men  are 
constantly  inciting  one  another  to  resistance  and 
attack.  These  are  the  most  expensive  methods 
we  could  possibly  devise  for  the  attainment  of  our 
ends.  We  cannot  exterminate  an  evil  or  solve 
a  social  difficulty  by  a  set  of  resolutions  spread 
upon  the  records  of  a  reform  society.  We  cannot 
overcome  a  habit  by  mere  resolve. 

When  we  have  really  recognized  truth  it  sets  us 


156  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

free.  When  we  have  begun  to  radiate  love, 
those  things  which  seemed  impregnable  disintegrate 
like  the  hard  rock  of  refractory  ores  placed  in  the 
chemical  vats  of  the  reduction  works.  When  we 
begin  to  "  live  the  life  "  we  find  that  our  candle 
"  gives  light  to  all  that  are  in  the  house,"  and  will 
not  be  hid  in  a  secret  place.  Our  power  asserts 
itself  in  all  our  relations  to  others.  It  vitalizes 
everj'thing  we  touch,  but  produces  no  elation  or 
vain-glory.  We  accept  all  results  as  evidence  of 
the  accuracy  of  the  principles  with  which  we  are 
learning  to  work.  The  cancer  of  self-love  is 
healed.  With  all  our  heart,  and  strength,  and 
soul,  and  mind,  we  love  the  higher  good.  Fresh 
life  flows  through  our  veins,  and  we  begin  to 
realize  that  for  which  we  have  vainly  sought  so 
long. 

Love  easily  loosens  all  our  bonds.  There  is  no 
discomfort  that  will  not  yield  to  its  sovereign  power. 

The  sun  compels  the  traveller  to  lay  aside  the 
cloak  that  wind  and  storm  have  failed  to  take  from 
his  grasp. 

When  experience  flings  its  javelins  at  us  in  life's 
turmoil,  we  often  strike  the  sweetest  chords  upon 
our  harps.  When  we  sit  in  the  seat  of  satisfied 
desire,  ease  and  comfort  bring  us  lethargy. 

If  pain  is  rightly  understood  it  teaches  us  the 
deeper,  stronger  possibilities  of  humanity,  but  if 
we  were  not  so  blind  to  the  advantages  we  possess 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  POWER.  157 

we  would  not  need  the  friendly  offices  of  pain  to 
arouse  us  to  sight  and  action. 

A  stagnant  pool  does  not  clearly  reflect  the 
stars  and  neither  does  troubled  water.  Power 
does  not  dwell  in  indolent  or  anxious  minds. 

When  we  have  put  away  all  eagerness  and 
learned  the  lesson  of  true  confidence,  we  are  in 
training  for  high  achievement.  It  is  no  reason  for 
discouragement  if  old  habits  of  mind  return  at 
times  like  the  retreating  tides. 

As  we  watch  the  ebbing  waters  an  occasional 
wave  will  roll  back  so  far  as  to  make  us  feel  un- 
certain of  its  outward  movement,  while  the  flood 
tide  often  seems  to  the  watcher  to  be  receding. 

So  do  our  thought  impulses  appear  to  move  us 
in  directions  we  have  not  sought,  and  hold  us  from 
the  lines  on  which  we  most  desire  to  advance. 

Outside  the  caverns  of  mystery,  in  which  we 
search  for  truth,  lies  sunlight  that  would  blind 
our  mortal  eyes ;  while  within,  the  occasional 
flash  of  our  torches  on  a  crystal,  or  the  phospho- 
rescence of  a  drop  of  water,  seems  to  us  a  blaze 
of  glory,  and  the  pebbles  in  our  path  appear  as 
treasures  beyond  price. 

The  day  will  come  when  we  will  dare  to  claim  the 
full  power  that  belongs  to  us,  and  realize  that  we 
are  limitless  indeed,  and,  as  Walt  Whitman  says,  are 
not  contained  between  our  hats  and  our  boot-soles. 


158  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 


Poverty  and  disease  are  not  the  expressions  of 
righteousness. 

They  do  not  reflect  the  true  image  and  likeness 
of  God. 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  POWER.  1 59 


Great  spiritual  potencies  are  born  from  great 
emergencies. 

Nature  does  not  waste  her  highest  impulses 
on  trivial  occasions. 

We  get  the  greatest  force  from  our  severest 
trials. 

It  does  not  come  from  mere  endurance,  but  from 
a  bold  and  steadfast  attitude  which  has  no  thought 
of  yielding. 


l6o  DISCOVERY   OF   A   LOST   TRAIL. 


The  way  of  peace  is  the  way  of  power. 

It  brings  us  to  repose  without  lethargy,  activity 
without  effort,  love  without  anxiety,  and  joy  with- 
out reaction. 


DECISION  l6l 


VIII. 


DECISION. 

The  first  step  in  occultism  brings  the  student  to  the  tree 
of  knowledge. 

He  must  pluck  and  eat.     He  must  choose. 

No  longer  is  he  capable  of  the  indecision  of  ignorance. 

—  "  Light  on  the  Path.'''' 

In  a  history  of  the  development  of  the  Cripple 
Creek  gold  mines  it  is  related  that  experts  of  wide 
reputation  in  the  mining  world  and  with  large 
experience  upon  five  continents  pronounced  the 
deposits  superficial.  It  is  significantly  added,  "  // 
was  this  uncertainty  that  delayed  development!' 

It  was  finally  the  men  of  brawn  and  muscle  who 
proved  to  the  world  that  underneath  the  grass- 
roots lay  fabulous  riches. 

At  greater  depth  the  district  was  shown  to  be  all 
that  the  most  sanguine  had  anticipated. 

Deep  mining  then  became  the  factor.  The 
veins  were  absolutely  without  number  and  of  every 
conceivable  course  and  dip.  Often  the  miner  who 
goes  to  search  for  the  extension  of  a  rich  vein 
finds  an  entirely  new  vein  instead. 

It  was  the  patient  toilers  who  had  worked  with 
confidence  and  decision,  unaft"ected  by  the  doubts 
of  those  about  them  and  undismayed  by  their  own 


1 62  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

difficulties,  that  finally  brought  to  light  the  richest 
gold  mines  of  the  century. 

In  the  development  of  man's  higher  nature  we 
find  it  also  true  that  only  he  who  works  with  the 
patient  confidence  of  a  fully  decided  purpose  ever 
attains  to  power  — and  in  the  end  he  too  discovers 
fabulous  riches  with  deep  mining  in  the  spiritual 
nature. 

These  things  are  not  disclosed  to  fearful,  timid 
souls,  nor  to  the  indolent  and  self-indulgent. 

When  we  begin  to  change  our  thought  and 
interests  from  material  to  spiritual  things,  it  is 
important  that  we  should  commit  ourselves  fully 
and  promptly  to  the  new  direction  of  our  lives. 
Half-hearted  measures  always  result  in  confusion 
and  failure  and  delay  development. 

Upon  the  material  plane  we  may  achieve  mate- 
rial success.  Upon  the  spiritual  plane  we  can 
accomplish  a  spiritual  success,  but  when  we  are 
distracted  by  diverse  impulses  and  torn  by  con- 
trary incentives  we  find  ourselves  suspended  mid- 
way between  mind  and  matter,  and  in  a  sense 
divorced  from  both.  There  is  no  middle  ground 
that  we  can  safely  occupy. 

We  must  "  drink  deep  or  taste  not  the  Pierian 
spring."  One  of  the  greatest  dangers  to  success 
and  happiness  upon  all  lines  of  human  activity  is 
that  of  indecision.  This  is  the  reef  upon  which 
so  many  of  our  ventures  go  to  pieces.     The  princi- 


DECISION.  163 

pal  dangers  of  the  navigator  are  encountered  on 
the  coast.  The  perils  of  the  open  sea  are  small 
compared  with  those  of  the  rocky  shore  and  sandy- 
beach.  It  is  there  that  we  need  to  build  our  light- 
houses and  anchor  our  light-ships.  The  life-boats 
are  oftenest  overturned  in  pushing  through  the  surf. 

It  is  just  here  that  we  encounter  our  most  serious 
difficulties  in  the  study  of  thought  principles. 

We  are  reluctant  to  leave  our  material  shores  and 
trust  ourselves  to  the  operation  of  the  universal 
laws.  We  are  not  quite  ready  to  apply  the  truth 
to  our  particular  life.  We  are  not  accustomed  to 
the  larger  horizon  and  deep-water  navigation.  We 
have  never  seen  the  spiritual  principle  fully  demon- 
strated, perhaps,  and  the  scepticism  of  our  practi- 
cal minds  makes  us  reluctant  for  the  venture. 

Yesterday  I  stood  upon  the  curb  and  watched 
the  fire-engines  as  they  dashed  up-street  in  re- 
sponse to  an  alarm. 

The  glad  activity  of  men  and  horses  was  superb. 
There  was  no  trace  of  indecision.  At  the  first  tap 
of  the  bell  every  one  had  sprung  confidently  to  his 
post.  The  fires  were  kindled  without  delay.  The 
steam  was  speedily  ready  for  its  work.  The  ani- 
mals and  their  drivers  knew  exactly  what  was 
wanted  of  them.  Each  understood  his  part  and 
brought  immediately  into  play  his  largest  energies 
without  an  instant's  hesitation.  In  this  spirit  we 
should    commit   ourselves  to   our  daily  living,  re- 


1 64  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

spending  not  only  promptly  but  gladly  to  every 
responsibility  that  summons  us.  We  should  be  as 
ready  to  move  in  one  direction  as  another,  to  accept 
without  hesitation  every  opportunity  that  presents 
itself,  and  to  do  this  without  dissatisfaction  when 
the  circumstances  are  not  what  we  would  choose. 

Nothing  that  we  do  in  life  is  complete  and  per- 
manent. Everything  is  preliminary  to  something 
better,  a  preparation  for  something  more  endur- 
ing. We  go  "  from  strength  to  strength,"  advanc- 
ing evermore  toward  our  ideal  perfection.  And 
as  v/e  move,  our  ideal  grows,  providing  us  with  an 
ever  fresh  impulse. 

Every  day  we  are  developing  new  conditions  of 
ultimate  success.  Not  only  that,  but  every  day 
is  in  itself  successful  even  though  no  progress  is 
apparent.  Our  simple  effort  has  at  least  developed 
wind  and  muscle,  making  us  stronger  than  yester- 
day, and  better  equipped  for  the  work  at  which  we 
aim.  If  we  indulge  ourselves  in  tragic  moods  and 
moments  of  despondency  and  doubt,  we  only  in- 
crease and  complicate  our  tasks.  We  dull  the  axe 
with  which  we  hew,  and  thus  compel  ourselves  to 
put  forth  more  strength.  It  is  absolutely  necessary 
to  the  highest  success  that  we  rid  ourselves  of  the 
fever  of  impatience  and  throw  off  the  disease  of 
indecision  and  uncertainty.  All  the  world  suffers 
from  a  mental  "  grippe  "  for  want  of  real  belief  in 
the  absolute  sood. 


DECISION.  165 

Persistent  confidence  is  the  first  requisite  in  any- 
undertaking  if  we  wish  to  arrive  at  positive  results 
—  confidence  that  is  in  no  way  weakened  by  a 
seeming  failure  or  by  days  or  months  or  years  of 
disappointment.  Such  confidence  makes  delays 
and  disappointments  quite  unnecessary  if  it  is 
prepared  to  stand  these  tests. 

It  accepts  as  a  finality,  established  beyond  the 
need  of  further  proof,  the  axiom  that  "  All  things 
work  together  for  good."  This  is  the  meaning  of 
true  fearlessness.  It  believes  that  "  the  universe 
is  for  nothing  else  than  to  succeed  in."  It  does 
not  measure  success  by  the  day's  record.  It  has 
higher  standards  than  the  mere  accomplishment 
of  its  own  trivial  purposes.  It  knows  that  all 
merely  personal  ends  are  petty,  even  though  they 
be  the  building  of  cities  or  the  civilization  of  con- 
tinents. Nothing  is  worthy  the  powers  and  stature 
of  a  man  but  the  fulfilment  of  his  divinest  being, 
the  unfoldment  of  his  largest  spiritual  manhood. 

Power  always  destroys  itself  and  us  when  we 
use  it  with  no  other  than  a  selfish  aim.  It  can  be 
developed  and  extended  to  the  highest  degree 
only  when  our  purpose  is  in  accord  with  that  of 
the  universal  life.  This  is  not  gained  by  the  be- 
littling of  our  daily  occupations  or  the  neglect  of 
simple  duties  and  homely  opportunities.  Nor  is  it 
reached  by  the  exaggeration  of  them. 

It  is  only  in  the  recognition  and  adjustment  of 


1 66  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

our  real  relation  to  every  person,  place,  and  cir- 
cumstance with  which  we  are  brought  in  con- 
tact. 

It  is  in  confidence  and  decision  that  we  develop 
power. 

Fanaticism  is  more  forceful  than  agnosticism, 
because  it  has  a  distinct  and  decided  purpose 
without  a  doubt  of  its  accomplishment. 

The  history  of  bigots  is  a  wonderful  testimony 
to  the  power  of  confident  belief  and  unselfish 
aims. 

Indecision  is  a  fatal  disease  wherever  it  appears. 
It  seems  less  hurtful  to  progress  to  be  decided  in 
a  wrong  course  than  to  remain  undecided  in  a 
right  one.  The  practical  consequences  of  error 
may  be  relied  upon  to  correct  themselves  through 
the  suffering  they  entail. 

Indecision  is  prolific  of  disease  and  kills  through 
inactivity  and  stagnation. 

No  battle  was  ever  won  under  the  banner  of 
"  I  can't." 

It  is  only  when  we  recognize  and  boldly  assert 
our  power  that  we  find  it  possible  to  change  con- 
ditions. As  long  as  we  plead  ignorance  and  in- 
capacity we  excuse  ourselves  from  effort  and 
indulge  our  indolence. 

We  are  victims  and  bond-slaves  just  as  long  as 
we  consent  to  be  considered  so  and  not  a  moment 
longer.     We  begin  to  manifest  superiority  to  any 


DECISION.  167 

and  all  conditions  when  we  have  really  made  up 
our  minds  to  full  dominion. 

No  one  truly  individualized  will  ever  say,  "  God 
willing,"  but  instead  of  this,  "  I  will,"  recognizing 
himself  as  the  legitimate  expression  of  God's  will. 
The  voice  of  the  Spirit  is  always  to  be  heard  by 
him  who  listens,  "  Behold,  I  have  set  the  land 
before  you.     Go  in  and  possess  the  land." 

Our  grotesque  ideas  of  God  have  resulted  in 
grotesque  expressions  of  ourselves.  As  man  grows 
he  no  longer  caricatures  Deity  in  the  figure  of  a 
Chinese  Joss,  but  fashions  an  Apollo  Belvidere, 
and  knows  that  his  highest  art  is  but  a  faint  ex- 
pression of  a  divine  idea.  He  no  longer  fears  the 
powers  of  darkness  and  the  prince  of  the  power 
of  the  air,  because  he  recognizes  in  himself  the 
power  of  light  and  knows  that  he  is  a  prince  of  the 
universal  realm. 

We  suffer  disease  and  poverty  as  long  as  we 
think  we  are  compelled  to  do  so,  and  are  undecided 
in  our  purpose  and  authority. 

A  common  trouble  with  us  all  is  our  ambition 
to  be  masters  before  we  have  learned  the  meaning 
of  service.  We  are  apt  to  despise  the  small  things 
and  the  short  steps.  We  want  to  assert  power 
rather  than  develop  it  through  the  discipline  of 
experience.  We  want  to  stride  with  seven-league 
boots  before  we  have  learned  to  creep.  We  are 
impatient    to  read  before  we  know  the  alphabet 


l68  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

and  to  receive  the  certificate  of  skilled  navigators 
before  we  have  learned  to  stand  our  watch  at  the 
wheel.  Confidence  is  the  first  lesson  in  the  spirit- 
ual primer  and  full  realization  is  the  last. 

Before  we  can  arrive  at  a  firm  decision  regarding 
a  new  course  we  must  abandon  all  regrets  concern- 
ing the  old.  We  must  permit  no  hesitancy  of  fear. 
We  must  not  be  disturbed  by  contrary  winds. 

Perhaps  the  greatest  surprise  awaiting  the  de- 
carnate  soul  will  be  the  discovery  of  the  wonder- 
ful wealth  of  latent  power  of  which  it  had  remained 
in  ignorance  in  its  earth  life.  With  an  abundant 
and  marvellous  provision  for  our  material  journey 
we  limp  and  struggle  through  a  brief  incarnation, 
suffering  tortures  of  hunger,  thirst,  and  loneliness, 
while  living  in  a  land  of  plenty,  watered  by  in- 
exhaustible springs  and  peopled  by  loving  pres- 
ences. The  soul  lives  in  an  earthly  paradise  and 
feeds  on  husks.  It  toils  as  a  slave,  because  it 
lives  so  close  to  the  ground  it  does  not  know  that 
it  is  free. 

Many  never  understand  themselves  or  one  an- 
other till  long  after  they  have  dropped  the  mortal 
body. 

We  need  not  live  in  an  illusion  because  we 
are  embodied  in  matter,  and  are  dwellers  on  the 
planet  Earth.  If  we  have  deceived  ourselves,  it 
is  because  we  chose  to  dream  and  to  postpone 
awakening. 


DECISION.  169 

We  preferred  to  consider  trivial  things  of  real 
importance  rather  than  view  life  from  a  higher 
standpoint.  Truth  would  have  dwarfed  our  petty- 
occupations.  It  would  not  have  flattered  our 
personal  vanity  or  confirmed  our  childish  theories 
of  existence. 

Life  contains  a  full  provision  for  us  all.  There 
is  no  lack  to  any  human  creature  who  is  ready  to 
obey  the  laws  of  harmony. 

Many  will  protest  impatiently  at  such  a  claim, 
and  cite  in  disproof  the  wretchedness  and  squalor 
that  abound  among  those  who  are  considered  help- 
less. 

Such  objectors  look  only  at  the  surface  of 
things,  without  appreciation  of  the  laws  of  cause 
and  effect. 

It  is  the  fashion  of  men  to  be  impatient  with 
what  they  do  not  understand.  It  is  usual  for  us  to 
resent  the  implication  that  we  are  strictly  respon- 
sible for  our  own  faults  and  failures.  The  fact 
that  all  the  world  imagines  vastly  improved  condi- 
tions for  what  we  have  chosen  to  call  the  next 
life  only  shows  the  possibility  of  bettering  the  con- 
ditions of  this. 

We  expect  sometime  to  be  free  from  anxiety 
and  grief. 

When  we  are  willing  to  assume  our  rightful 
attitude  toward  one  another  we  will  find  this 
freedom  can    be    achieved    to-day.      There  is  no 


170  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

more   reason   for  our  present    suffering  than   will 
exist  a  hundred  or  a  thousand  years  from  now. 

A  spirit  truly  poised  is  not  dependent  for  its 
happiness  on  anything  outside  itself. 

It  is  tranquil  through  the  recognition  that  all 
life  is  evolution  of  character,  and  that  each  is 
responsible  only  for  his  own  development.  Char- 
acter is  an  individual  possession.  We  cannot  ac- 
quire it  for  one  another. 

Grief  for  another's  faults  will  often  feed  the 
morbid  nature  of  a  weakling  and  prolong  the 
indulgence  of  the  errors  for  which  we  grieve. 

A  wise  and  loving  indifference  will  invariably 
prove  a  tonic  that  compels  the  offender  finally  to 
realize  that  he  alone  is  vitally  concerned  in  the 
question  of  his  welfare,  and  that  no  one  else  can 
shoulder  his  responsibility  or  share  it  with  him. 

All  immorality  is  a  condition  of  hysteria.  It 
thrives  on  sentimental  sympathy,  as  ulcers  often 
feed  upon  the  salves  that  are  applied  for  their  relief. 
Our  power  to  assist  another  is  crippled  by  the 
depression  which  comes  through  pity.  Pity  is 
always  a  sacrifice  of  power.  Pity  and  power  never 
can  be  yoked  together.  True  principle  is  always 
robust.  It  is  spiritual  knowledge,  and  has  in  it  no 
element  of  indecision  or  distrust.  It  stands  un- 
moved by  temporary  appearances,  and  has  unwav- 
ering confidence  in  everlasting  good  for  every  life. 
It  admits  no  doubt  or  failure  possible,  but  holds  to 


DECISION.  I  7  I 

the  assurance  that  the  higher  self  of  every  one  will 
eventually  claim  its  right  to  govern.  The  facts  of 
time  are  not  distressing  to  one  who  lives  in  the 
larger  fact  of  the  eternal.  It  is  not  persuasion  or 
environment  that  reforms  a  life,  but  the  awaken- 
ing of  its  own  innate  energies.  These  alone  have 
power  to  renew  the  purpose,  vitalize  the  will,  and 
guide  the  destinies  that  we  are  helpless  to  control 
for  one  another. 

Human  temptation  is  a  puny  thing  to  an  enfran- 
chised spirit. 

There  are  no  fetters  of  habit  except  what  we 
have  forged  for  ourselves.  The  same  strength  which 
has  fastened  them  upon  us  can  remove  them  in- 
stantly by  simply  reversing  the  action  of  the  will, 
which  has  already  proved  its  power  in  the  structure 
it  has  raised,  as  the  heavy  stones  of  the  great 
pyramid  testify  to  the  strength  and  skill  and  pon- 
derous machinery  employed  in  its  erection. 

We  often  neglect  to  reckon  intelligently  with  the 
forces  we  set  in  motion  to  make  or  mar  our  lives. 
They  are  not  to  be  treated  as  playthings  or  despised 
as  the  creation  of  idealists. 

It  is  folly  to  fall  upon  our  swords  on  the  field  of 
a  lost  conflict  like  the  old  commanders  of  the 
Roman  legions.  The  tides  of  battle  often  turn 
when  least  expected.  Until  we  can  see  every 
corner  of  the  field  and  understand  the  movements 
of  the    unseen    hosts  about  us  to   which  we   are 


1/2  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

related  we  have  no  right  or  reason  to  lower  our 
standards  or  admit  defeat. 

The  strategic  movements  of  an  army  often  take 
on  temporarily  the  appearance  of  disaster  and 
retreat  when  they  are  only  the  preparation  for  an 
overwhelming  advance  to  final  victory. 

We  govern  kingdoms  that  have  never  been 
polled.  Their  census  is  unknown  to  us,  their 
power  unsuspected.  If  we  waver  in  our  purposes 
our  house  is  divided  against  itself.  The  different 
factions  endeavor  to  fulfil  their  understanding  of  our 
wishes,  but  when  we  weakly  yield  to  fickleness  there 
is  confusion  in  the  camp  and  we  are  torn  with  the 
contending  elements.  Our  greatest  crime  is  a 
surrender  of  our  right  to  rule  ourselves.  Our 
greatest  weakness  is  a  state  of  indecision. 

When  we  recognize  the  power  of  the  soul  within 
us  and  the  value  of  its  work  we  know  it  is  in- 
capable of  defeat.  Not  only  is  our  life  invulner- 
able to  evil,  but  it  is  invincible  in  every  decided 
purpose. 

Let  us  stand  upright  on  our  feet.  Our  ankle 
bones  will  find  the  strength  they  need.  Let  us 
stretch  forth  the  arm  that  we  think  withered. 
We  will  speedily  find  that  it  is  whole.  Let  us 
go  boldly  forward  with  a  song  upon  our  lips, 
indifferent  to  any  suffering  or  death  which  leads 
to  the  awakening  of  slumbering  powers.  Should 
we  not  gladly  serve  if  thus  we  learn  to  govern? 


DECISION.  173 

Right  living  is  true  service.  It  yields  an  ever- 
increasing  satisfaction.  We  have  no  reason  to  wish 
for  better  opportunities  through  larger  possession 
of  money  or  influence.  The  only  real  power  is 
that  which  radiates  from  character.  All  our  fancied 
limitations  lie  in  the  artificial  conditions  we  create. 
They  do  not  belong  to  the  real  man  or  his  envi- 
ronment. We  are  slow  to  accept  the  truth  of  our 
infinity.  Sooner  or  later  we  arrive  at  its  recog- 
nition. 

Truth  awaits  our  pleasure.  Its  acceptance  is  a 
matter  of  choice  to  every  individual.  We  can 
never  exaggerate  the  intelligence  or  power  of  the 
spirit.  Every  demonstration  comes  to  us  at  the 
moment  we  are  prepared  to  welcome  it.  We  must 
needs  break  down  the  walls  of  doubt  and  indecision 
we  have  built  about  us  before  we  can  obtain  the 
evidence  we  seek,  as  we  must  open  our  eyes  before 
we  can  see  the  sun  and  study  its  phenomena. 

Our  titles  and  estates  are  ready  when  we  claim 
them.  The  freedom  day  of  the  soul  is  not  defined 
and  limited  by  any  statutes. 

Success  is  quite  impossible  to  him  who  throws 
his  energies  into  the  forging  of  thought  fetters, 
and  hears  only  the  voice  of  his  lesser  self. 

To  an  illuminated  will  the  perplexities  of  life 
are  but  the  dust  stirred  by  its  chariot  wheels  in  its 
triumphant  progress. 

It  takes  joyfully  the  spoiling  of  its  goods  because 


174  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

it  knows  that  every  experience  is  friendly  and  help- 
ful, and  will  feed  its  power. 

We  spurn  the  thought  of  escape  when  we  have 
learned  to  transmute  disagreeable  conditions  into 
spiritual  nutriment.  When  we  know  that,  we  can 
change  our  relation  to  suffering  through  mastery 
of  ourselves. 

The  dwellers  in  malarial  climates  sometimes 
plant  the  eucalyptus  in  their  gardens. 

This  wonderful  tree  absorbs  from  the  atmosphere 
the  poisonous  elements,  and  makes  them  con- 
tribute to  its  sturdy  growth.  When  we  understand 
the  secrets  of  spiritual  chemistry  we  thrive  upon 
conditions  we  have  always  regarded  as  malarial. 
Vexations,  disappointments,  mortifications,  and 
annoyances  of  every  kind  will  furnish  us  with  ele- 
ments of  nourishment.  Not  only  do  they  cease 
to  poison  our  happiness  and  becloud  our  days,  but 
we  can  easily  welcome  them  as  helpful  tests  of 
our  development. 

After  the  dreary  days  of  temptation  in  the  wil- 
derness we  emerge  with  larger  control  of  disease 
and  devils.  In  such  hours  of  trial  we  make  our 
final  decision  upon  many  a  question  which  will 
never  again  possess  the  power  to  disturb  our 
peace,  because  we  know  the  force  that  we  em- 
body. 

The  value  of  experience  is  greater  than  we  can 
understand  while  under  the  stress  that  it  involves. 


DECISION.  175 

Its  cost  is  always  an  indication  of  our  need.  We 
get  it  at  the  lowest  price,  and  at  our  own  bid. 
No  one  but  ourselves  determines  the  emergency 
or  names  the  compensation  we  must  pay.  The 
"slings  and  arrows  of  outrageous  fortune"  are  the 
uncertainties  and  fears  with  which  we  torture  and 
wound  ourselves  in  every  hour  of  sojourning  in  the 
land  of  indecision.  When  we  once  have  passed  the 
barriers  our  doubts  have  raised  we  find  an  open 
way  to  power. 

The  time  to  realize  and  assert  power  is  when 
we  are  most  sensible  of  weakness.  The  time  to 
declare  health  is  when  we  are  suffering  from  ill- 
ness. The  time  to  avow  opulence  is  when  we  are 
most  painfully  conscious  of  our  poverty.  It  is 
in  the  valley  of  decision  that  we  find  relief  from 
all  these  things.  But  it  is  necessary  that  we 
should  stand  alone  before  we  can  walk  erect  and 
free,  and  this  is  first  a  mental  process. 

When  the  early  adventurers  went  to  South 
Africa  for  diamonds,  they  built  their  huts  of  mud 
and  laid  out  roads  for  hauling  their  supplies. 

After  they  had  thoroughly  examined  the  coun- 
try their  experts  pronounced  it  a  barren  and  worth- 
less land. 

Others  followed  who  were  more  enlightened  and 
less  prejudiced.  These  soon  discovered  that  the 
very  huts  in  which  they  lived  were  thickly  en- 
crusted with  the  precious  gems. 


176  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

The  clay  road  itself  was  a  rich  bed  of  diamonds. 

Is  it  not  so  with  life?  We  think  this  world  of 
matter  very  poor.  We  live  in  huts  and  search  for 
wealth  outside.  At  last,  after  great  tribulation  and 
continual  disappointment,  we  awaken  to  the  truth 
that  we  ourselves  contain  the  gems  of  greatest 
value  and  of  rarest  promise.  As  long  as  we 
think  ourselves  dependent  for  happiness  upon 
any  material  thing,  we  are  the  slaves  and  not 
the  lords  of  matter.  When  we  truly  understand, 
we  are  thankful  for  life  as  it  is  in  every  hour, 
knowing  that  it  holds  the  highest  possible  con- 
ditions necessary  to  our  good.  We  may  feel 
sure  that  this  is  true,  not  only  for  ourselves,  but 
for  every  other  life  as  well.  We  are  always  in 
the  banqueting  house  of  love.  Every  hour  is 
filled  with  pleasant  chimes.  All  our  dice  are 
double-sixes,  and  everything  comes  our  way.  Do 
we  resent  this  as  idealism?  Then  it  is  idealism 
of  which  wc  stand  in  greatest  need.  Do  we 
clamor  for  a  more  practical  philosophy?  Our 
very  demand  reveals  the  fact  that  we  are  far  from 
being  practical  ourselves. 

Before  we  enter  into  a  useless  struggle  with  the 
material  conditions  that  surround  us,  let  us  get  a 
firm  mental  grasp  upon  ourselves  and  wc  will  find 
that  all  else  yields  easily  to  the  change  within. 

Our  conceptions  of  life  are  all  too  small.  The 
kingdom  of  mind  and  the  kingdom  of  matter  are 


DECISION.  177 

far  beyond,  in  extent  and  richness,  any  horizon  lines 
we  yet  have  sighted. 

We  are  their  lawful  sovereigns,  spirits  clothed 
in  matter,  gods  manifest  in  the  flesh.  If  we  real- 
ized our  destiny  we  would  greet  ourselves  every 
morning,  when  we  returned  from  our  excursions 
upon  astral  planes  to  take  up  again  our  robe  and 
crown  of  matter,  with  the  beautiful  salutation  of 
the  East,  "  O  King,  live  forever !  " 

Alexander  wept  because  he  had  no  more  worlds 
to  conquer.  We  have  no  such  cause  for  tears. 
We  haven't  a  bodily  organ  that  has  found  the 
limits  of  its  powers.  Sandow,  the  strong  man, 
reports  that  he  is  enlarging  his  muscles  and  ex- 
panding his  lungs  and  strengthening  his  heart  con- 
tinually, that  he  can  every  year  lift  heavier  weights. 
We  do  not  yet  use  all  the  air-cells  of  our  lungs. 
We  have  not  begun  to  explore  the  cellular  tissue 
of  the  brain.  We  have  many  muscles  that  we  sel- 
dom call  into  action.  There  are  such  undiscov- 
ered lands  in  body  and  brain  that  it  will  require 
many  an  incarnation  to  explore  and  master  them. 

Worry  comes  from  a  Dutch  word,  "  worgen," 
meaning  to  throttle. 

We  strangle  ourselves  with  worry.  This  is  the 
greatest  enemy  of  life.  We  think  we  have  reached 
the  limit  of  endurance  before  our  backbone  has 
really  straightened  itself  to  the  weight.  Many 
men   and  women  are  like  jelly-fish    and   scarcely 


178  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

belong  to  the  order  of  vertebrates.  They  lack 
fibre  and  have  not  yet  lived  long  enough  to  develop 
a  real  spinal  column. 

We  never  sufifer  so  much  that  we  could  not 
suffer  far  more  and  live.  We  do  not  wear  out 
from  overwork,  but  from  improper  use  of  our 
faculties  and  worry.  We  get  discouraged  and  lie 
down  and  die  before  our  real  capacity  for  doing 
and  enduring  has  been  tested.  Our  wills  are  im- 
pulsive and  erratic,  weak  and  fickle  for  the  lack  of 
spiritual  decision.  Our  purpose  is  not  clearly 
formed  to  express  divinity  in  daily  life.  We  really 
intend  to  do  it  sometime,  but  secretly  prefer  to 
indulge  our  selfishness  a  little  longer. 

If  we  are  honest  we  will  not  bewail  our  weakness, 
but  we  will  correct  it.  We  will  not  mourn  our 
usclcssness,  but  will  simply  go  to  work  and  make 
ourselves  useful.  We  will  not  lament  our  hard- 
ships, but  will  change  them  into  stimulants.  When 
we  are  thoroughly  decided  and  ready  to  do  God's 
work  we  always  find  God  ready  to  work  through 
us.  At  that  point  of  decision  we  can  never  fail  in 
either  equipment  or  opportunity.  God's  resources 
are  never  limited  to  the  range  of  our  perceptions. 
Much  that  we  do  not  see  exists  and  has  existed 
always,  though  our  eyes  were  not  strong  enough 
to  perceive  it.  To  the  unaided  vision  the  skies 
seem  often  starless.  With  a  powerful  telescope 
we  sec   one   hundred   million  stars  where   only  six 


DECISION.  179 

or  seven  thousand  are  visible  without  the  glass. 
What  is  only  theory  to  one  is  often  fact  to  another 
who  has  pushed  his  investigations  further. 

If  we  have  not  studied  sidereal  time  and  planet- 
ary distances,  how  can  we  expect  to  map  the 
heavens? 

If  we  have  examined  life  only  upon  material 
lines,  how  can  we  understand  spiritual  philosophies 
which  make  life  to  others  a  beautiful  and  syste- 
matic working  of  intelligent  law  where  we  see  only 
suffering  and  confusion? 

There  is  no  doubt  but  that  we  shall  all  look 
back  from  the  problems  which  confront  us  in  the 
immaterial  life  of  the  astral  plane  and  feel  that  in 
comparison  the  lessons  of  earth  were  simple  and 
easy.  If  life  is  eternal  progress,  as  every  sane 
mind  believes,  the  first  condition  of  happiness  is 
confidence,  and  its  greatest  danger  is  the  indecision 
which  comes  through  fear. 

When  we  have  settled  once  for  all  that  the 
to-morrow  of  death  will  never  arrive,  no  matter 
whether  we  live  in  fear  or  longing  for  it,  we  are 
prepared  to  eat  and  drink  to-day  in  security  and 
gladness  and  feel  equal  to  the  conquest  of  any 
and  all  material  conditions  through  the  use  of 
spiritual  powers. 

God  grant  that  we  may  suffer  till  all  dread  of 
suffering  is  past,  that  we  may  feel  the  furnace  of 
affliction    heated     to    such    stress    that    from     the 


l8o  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

mighty  impulse  of  our  pain  the  higher  self  may  be 
truly  born.  In  the  hour  of  our  anguish  this  serene 
one  walks  beside  us  and  in  his  presence  we  find 
all  sorrow  stilled   forevermore. 


With  every  day  leave  yesterday  behind- 
and  turn  not  back. 


DECISION.  I  8  I 


Discontent  and  indecision  close  all  doors  of 
success  and  happiness. 

Disappointment  should  be  always  taken  as  a 
stimulant  and  never  viewed  as  a  discouragement. 


l82  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 


Spiritual  progress  is  never  hindered  by  our 
duties    or    want    of  time. 

There  can  be  no  conflict  between  our  aspira- 
tions and  our  responsibilities. 

Our  most  precious  opportunities  are  often  those 
disguised  in  tatters.  They  pass  us  by  unrecog- 
nized, because  we  judge  life  by  appearances  in- 
stead of  principles. 


THOUGHT   TONICS.  1 83 


IX. 


THOUGHT   TONICS. 

••  I  cried  aloud,  and  wrung  my  hands  in  woe 

When  Grief  came  to  my  door  in  mourning  guise  ; 
I  strove  to  shut  the  door,  and  closed  my  eyes, 
But  she  stood,  patient,  there,  and  would  not  go. 

«'  Then  Pain  came  down  the  pathway,  sad  and  slow; 
And  Sacrifice  with  face  raised  to  the  skies  ; 
And  Poverty,  with  brooding,  anxious  sighs ; 
And  all  Griefs  sisters,  talking  soft  and  low. 

♦«  Long,  long  I  stood  rebellious,  with  the  door 

Closed  on  the  grim  ranks  waiting  there  outside ; 
My  heart  beat  fiercely,  and  I  paced  the  floor 

With  sobs  and  moans.     But  when  the  daylight  died, 
With  trembling  hands  I  flung  the  portals  wide  — 
And  lo  !  but  Peace  came  in,  to  go  no  more." 

—  Fanny  Driscott. 

The  power  that  we  call  "  God  "  and  "  Law  "  is 
wise  and  strong  enough  to  provide  for  man  the 
most  favorable   conditions  he  himself  permits. 

"  God  "  is  Love,  and  Love  could  be  satisfied 
with  nothing  less,  for  Love  is  Infinite  Intelligence 
and  Power.  Where,  then,  is  the  limitation,  and 
why  do  we  suffer? 

The  answer  is  ahvays  to  be  found  within  the 
individual  soul,  which  has  the  sovereign  power  of 


1 84  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

control.  Man  can  open  wide  all  doors  of  recep- 
tiveness;  can  throw  down  all  walls  and  live  in  the 
open ;  or  he  can  shut  himself  up  in  the  deepest 
dungeons  of  his  personal  life  and  bar  out  every 
ray  of  sunlight. 

The  sun  is  powerful  indeed,  but  the  delicate 
membrane  of  the  human  eyelid  can  exclude  it 
when  the  man  so  wills.  Nothing  is  so  blinding  as 
the  persistent  thought  of  weakness. 

The  first  step  in  healing  or  altering  the  condi- 
tions of  existence  is  recognition  of  the  sovereignty 
of  Self. 

The  next  is  recognition  of  the  sovereignty  of 
Good. 

The  work  is  complete  when  these  two  principles 
have  been  identified.  The  windows  of  heaven  are 
always  open.  It  is  our  windows  that  are  often 
closed. 

The  Egyptian  peasant  fertilizes  his  little  tract 
bordering  on  the  desert  by  laboriously  hauling  up 
the  water  from  the  river  with  his  bucket  or  wheel. 
He  turns  it  into  his  small  trenches.  But  there 
comes  a  day  when  the  great  river  rises  above  its 
banks,  and  in  a  majestic  overflow  Avipes  away  all 
its  petty  barriers  and  inundates  the  very  desert  it- 
self, carrying  opulence  of  fertility  noiselessly  and 
easily  to  all  the  surrounding  country.  If  we  stand 
upon  the  shore  and  watch  its  rising  tides  we  see 
that  the  waters  find  their  way  to  every  nook  and 


THOUGHT    TONICS.  185 

cranny,  and  the  dn'  sands  are  drenched  in  its  floods 
and  cleansed  with  its  billows.  These  flood  tides 
are  irresistible.  They  are  glorious  in  their  power 
and  beauty. 

All  this  is  but  a  faint  suggestion  of  the  ever- 
present  opportunities  of  the  soul.  Life  is  always 
at  its  flood,  though  our  realization  may  ebb  and 
flow.  It  is  only  we  who  imagine  the  ebb  as  we 
wade  in  the  murky  waters  of  a  shallow  experi- 
ence, indulging  our  self-pity  and  bemoaning  our 
suff"erings. 

If  we  cease  our  vain  struggles  and  lamentations 
long  enough  to  look  away  from  the  personal  self 
with  its  petty  cares,  and  to  recognize  the  spiritual 
self  with  its  calm  confidence  of  inexhaustible  ener- 
gies, we  realize  that  life  is  going  very  well  with  us 
indeed,  and  we  are  daily  gaining  the  experience  we 
need. 

We  exhaust  our  strength  in  our  impatience  at 
our  work  and  the  conditions  that  surround  us. 
There  is  nothing  that  comes  to  us  which  we  could 
not  do  easily  with  true  adjustment,  but  we  waste 
our  forces  in  our  worries.  It  is  our  leverage  that 
is  at  fault.  When  that  is  changed  we  will  find  the 
heaviest  weights  are  easily  raised. 

The  mechanism  of  our  existence  is  simpler  than 
we  think.  None  of  its  cog-wheels  are  misplaced. 
If  we  will  only  permit  them  to  work  into  each 
other  where  they  belong  we  will  discover  that  there 


1 86  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

is  no  superfluous  friction,  and  the  adjustment  of 
experience  to  need  is  truly  marvellous. 

The  propositions  of  Euclid  would  remain  true 
if  there  were  no  mathematical  professors  in  the 
universities  able  to  demonstrate  them.  The  earth 
has  been  always  round,  even  through  the  centuries 
when  its  scientific  men  declared  that  it  was  flat. 

It  does  not  follow  that  a  proposition  in  spiritual 
science  is  untrue  because  we  have  never  learned 
its  demonstration. 

Truth  is  never  dependent  to  the  least  degree 
upon  the  personality  of  teachers.  We  must  not 
imagine  Truth  will  stand  or  fall  with  any  person- 
ality. Telegraphy  remains  an  accurate  mani- 
festation of  electric  science  even  though  all  the 
operators  in  the  land  be  proven  incompetent  and 
unreliable. 

It  is  always  true  when  we  suffer  that,  like  Peter 
in  prison,  we  are  "sleeping  between  two  soldiers, 
bound  with  two  chains."  One  fetter  is  the  thought 
of  our  own  weak  personality ;  the  other  is  the  doubt 
of  the  power  of  Good. 

When  the  light  has  shone  into  our  prison  and 
we  hear  the  voice  of  the  Angel  of  Truth  —  "  Arise 
quickly,  gird  thyself,  follow  me  "  —  our  chains  fall 
off,  we  pass  safely  through  the  first  and  second 
wards,  and  even  "  the  iron  gate  that  leadeth  into 
the  city  "  opens  to  us  of  its  own  accord,  and  we  go 
out  again  among  men,  freed  from  pain  and  disease. 


THOUGHT    TONICS.  187 

and  strong  in  the  might  of  the  Spirit  which  has 
awakened  in  us  the  consciousness  that  all  power  is 
given  unto  us  in  heaven  and  in  earth. 

When  our  suffering  seems  almost  beyond  endur- 
ance we  may  always  gain  relief  b}'  making  a  bold 
"change  of  front."  This  is  considered  the  most 
difficult  problem  in  military  tactics  when  made  in 
the  face  of  an  enemy,  and  it  is  often  the  most  brill- 
iantly effective  move  of  martial  science. 

Instead  of  declaring,  as  we  so  often  do  in  our 
mental  anguish,  "  I  can't  stand  it  any  longer,"  let 
us  assert  with  Paul,  "I  glory  in  tribulation;  "  "I 
take  pleasure  in  infirmities ;  "  "I  can  endure  all 
thijigs."  Let  us  "  agree  with  our  adversary 
quickly"  while  we  are  in  the  way  with  him,  and 
make  friends  of  our  adversities.  Nothing  else  will 
so  quickly  disarm  their  power  and  neutralize  their 
sting. 

It  makes  a  great  difference  in  a  landscape 
whether  we  see  it  through  a  convex  or  a  concave 
lens ;  whether  we  look  through  the  large  end  of  a 
telescope  and  thus  remove  the  objects  to  a  dis- 
tance, or  through  the  small  end  and  bring  them 
within  close  range.  We  get  a  very  different  im- 
pression of  a  country  when  we  view  it  from  the 
mountain-tops  from  what  we  receive  in  passing 
through  its  valleys. 

How  vastly  different  a  troubled  question  looks 
to  us  at  noonday  and  at  midnight !      We  flinch  in 


1 88  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRATL. 

the  hours  of  darkness  from  a  problem  we  can 
meet  bravely  when  we  are  on  our  feet  and  under 
the  momentum  of  the  noonday  vigor. 

This  is  all  the  difference  between  negative  and 
positive  conditions. 

The  engine  which  moves  the  train  so  easily 
along  its  rails  when  the  power  is  applied  to  turn- 
ing the  great  drive  wheels  forward  can  be  quickly 
reversed  by  a  very  slight  movement  of  the  lever, 
and  all  its  force  thrown  into  a  backward  motion. 

By  boldly  and  persistently  changing  our  thought 
from  the  negative  conditions  of  discouragement 
and  suffering  to  the  positive  conditions  of  strength 
and  life,  the  very  worst  case  of  nervous  prostra- 
tion can  be  quickly  overcome.  Nature  abounds 
in  remedial  power,  and  it  is  always  within  our 
reach.  Indeed,  it  is  the  same  force  that  is  tearing 
the  engine  to  pieces,  and  needs  only  to  be  reversed 
to  drive  it  forward. 

We  ourselves  have  built  the  road-bed  of  our  own 
experiences,  and  laid  the  rails  on  which  we  are 
pushing  our  engines  ahead  to  a  larger  realization, 
or  backward  into  suffering.  Let  us  know  that  the 
highest  lesson  of  life  is  not  to  live  in  either  the 
present  or  future,  but  in  the  eternal.  "  He  to 
whom  time  is  as  eternity  and  eternity  as  time  is 
free,"  said  the  old  mystic  Boehm  —  an  aphorism 
we  should  all  engrave  upon  our  watch-cases. 

When  we  look  at  pain   or  trouble  through  the 


THOUGHT   TONICS.  1 89 

small  end  of  our  telescopes  they  are  brought  easily 
within  close  range  and  show  in  large  proportions. 
When  we  reverse  the  telescope  the  same  things 
seem  infinitely  removed. 

Now  let  us  look  at  the  personal  man  and  all 
his  paltry  affairs  through  the  lenses  which  put 
them  far  away  and  bring  the  eternal  man  into  the 
field  of  our  clearest  vision.  When  we  thus  gain 
even  a  passing  glimpse  of  our  higher  selves  the 
landscape  of  trouble  seems  misty  and  remote. 
We  do  not  have  to  climb  very  far  up  the  moun- 
tain-side to  get  above  the  clouds  and  find  a  differ- 
ent world.  How  many  an  Alpine  traveller  has 
passed  from  the  drenching  storm  of  the  lower  alti- 
tudes to  see  the  glorious  silvered  clouds  below 
him,  and  the  sun  shining  in  all  its  radiant  splen- 
dor on  the  snow-capped  peaks  of  Jungfrau  and 
Mt.  Blanc  !  It  was  only  a  turn  of  the  road  and 
a  few  rods'  upward  climb  that  wrought  the  magic 
change.  But  such  an  experience  can  never  be 
forgotten,  for  it  brings  a  dream  of  paradise. 

How  shall  we  climb  out  of  nervous  prostration? 
Let  us  begin  by  ceasing  to  oppose  —  ceasing  to 
fight  our  troubles,  declaring  their  nonentity,  while 
we  give  ear  to  the  thought  of  the  eternal  man  — 
our  own  true  self —  whose  voice  we  have  learned  to 
know  and  whom  we  have  invited  in  to  sup  with  us. 

We  have  thus  accomplished  a  positive  molecular 
change.    We  have  turned  off  the  current  of  anxious 


I90  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

thought.  We  have  altered  our  polarity.  We  have 
accompHshed  with  our  troubles  the  same  results 
that  would  follow  to  the  iron  filings  grouped  about 
the  magnet  if  it  should  be  suddenly  demagnet- 
ized. The  bits  of  iron  fall  away.  They  have 
nothing  to  which  to  cling.  The  force  that  held 
them  is  transferred  to  a  new  field.  Our  troubles 
are  like  spoiled  children  that  seek  to  gain  atten- 
tion by  their  kicks  and  screams.  They  make 
faces  at  us  like  street  urchins  as  long  as  we  come 
to  the  window.  When  we  no  longer  scold,  and 
calmly  pass  along  in  true  indifference,  they  do  not 
find  the  satisfaction  they  demand.  They  feed 
upon  sensation  and  are  starved  to  death  by  our 
refusal  to  acknowledge  them. 

The  small  boy  who  fell  in  the  woods  and  hurt 
himself  told  his  young  friends  who  asked  him  if  he 
cried,  "  Of  course  not,  there  was  nobody  to  hear." 
Our  troubles  often  show  a  seeming  intelligence, 
and  leave  us  when  we  no  longer  notice  them  and 
they  find  they  have  lost  the  power  to  annoy. 

This  comes  when  we  cease  to  coddle  or  fear  the 
personal  man  and  begin  to  cultivate  the  Spiritual 
and  live  in  the  Eternal ;  when  we  learn  the  mean- 
ing of  the  words,  "  I,  the  imperfect,  adore  my  own 
perfect." 

Disease  and  trouble  never  enter  our  dominions 
unless  they  are  invited.  They  never  stay  unless 
they  are  entertained. 


THOUGHT    TONICS.  191 

Science  declares  that  death  comes  always 
through  disease  and  for  disease  we  are  responsible. 
Old  age  itself  is  never  fatal.  The  fountain  of  life  is 
perennial.  Ignorance  and  fear  are  at  the  root  of 
all  disturbance.  In  overcoming  these  we  vanquish 
the  last  enemy.  All  suffering  comes  from  igno- 
rance of  God. 

In  the  beautiful  allegory  of  Job  we  find  that 
after  all  material  things  had  been  taken  from  him 
and  he  had  learned  that  there  was  nothing  to  trust 
but  God  the  test  was  successfully  passed  and  his 
possessions  were  doubled  from  that  hour. 

In  the  ancient  folk-lore  we  are  told  of  a  flood  in 
which  all  land  passed  out  of  sight  and  Noah  had 
nothing  but  his  ark  and  the  promise  of  a  clean  earth. 
But  the  flood  ended ;  the  ark  rested  upon  solid 
ground ;   and  the  new  life  was  richer  than  the  old. 

We  read  that  Abraham  was  ready  to  sacrifice 
his  only  son,  and  when  he  had  faced  that  point 
of  self-surrender  the  emergency  of  his  life  was 
safely  over.  To  Job  was  returned  his  wealth,  to 
Noah  his  earth,  and  to  Abraham  his  son. 

When  we  are  confident  of  our  possessions  we 
are  not  tenacious  of  them.  Fear  is  always  a  mark 
of  poverty. 

Through  willingness  to  surrender  we  often  gain 
a  truer  hold. 

If  we  would  loosen  our  life  we  would  always 
save   it. 


192  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

Intensity  of  desire  is  an  obstacle  to  accomplish- 
ment. 

It  is  idle  to  talk  of  "dying  grace"  and  faith  in 
another  life  when  we  haven't  enough  faith  in  the 
passing  day  to  carry  us  through  a  single  hour 
without  worriment. 

Our  "  faith  "  too  often  ends  with  the  limit  of  our 
eyesight,  just  as  our  appreciation  of  God's  good- 
ness is  gauged  by  the  size  of  our  bank  account. 

Every  hour  of  emergency  will  bring  its  own  de- 
liverance to  him  who  waits  with  confidence. 

The  fears  and  sufferings  which  we  encounter  in 
one  place  are  left  behind  as  we  move  on. 

Higher  levels  are  always  accessible.  We  need 
not  struggle  with  any  difficulty  upon  the  plane 
where  it  appears.  If  our  cellars  are  submerged 
we  do  not  have  to  occupy  them.  If  the  fog  has 
dropped  down  upon  us  in  the  valley  we  must 
gird  up  our  loins  and  climb  the  hillside.  In  other 
altitudes  we  will  find  the  sunshine,  and  leave 
behind  the  restlessness  and  fever  which  have 
wearied  us.  Life's  vexations  and  annoyances 
fall  away  from  us  in  a  clearer  atmosphere.  They 
are  as  yesterday's  flesh  stains  which  were  washed 
off  in  our  morning  bath,  or  yesterday's  bruises 
which  were  healed  while  we  slept.  The  morning 
finds  us  fresh  and  vigorous  and  ready  for  the  work 
of  a  new  day.  Our  trouble  was  only  a  dream. 
Love  is  the   real  power  which  rules  our  universe 


THOUGHT    TONICS.  193 

and  weaves  the  warp  and  woof  of  life,  throwing 
its  shuttle  with  a  wisdom  and  precision  which 
seem  marvellous  to  our  half-opened  eyes. 

Why  do  we  so  often  stop  upon  the  threshold 
of  Divinity  when  we  might  enter  its  very  courts? 

Why  do  we  so  often  prefer  to  believe  in  the 
necessity  of  suffering  and  weakness  rather  than  in 
the  possibility  of  strength  and  gladness? 

Why  do  we  argue  so  persistently  for  endurance 
and  resignation  rather  than  accept  the  larger  view 
of  life  which  vests  all  power  in  ourselves  and  makes 
us  the  arbiters  of  our  own  destinies? 

Why  should  we  cling  with  such  surprising  tenac- 
ity to  our  musty  theories  and  dogmas,  as  if  they 
were  treasures  from  which  we  could  not  bear  to 
part,  though  they  have  brought  us  nothing  but 
sorrow  and  disgust  with  human  life? 

How  closely  we  hug  our  dark  delusions,  while 
we  thank  God  we  are  not  credulous  as  other  men ! 
How  carefully  we  nurse  our  griefs  and  troubles, 
priding  ourselves  that  we  are  "practical"  in  our 
bondage ! 

Poverty  and  illness  we  call  decrees  of  God. 
Fate  and  luck  are  our  taskmasters. 

Spiritual  freedom  is  an  idle  superstition,  death  is 
a  wall  and  not  a  door.  Imagination  and  mind- 
reading  explain  all  phenomena,  and  what  we  do 
not  know  is  not  worth  knowing.  Happy  im- 
beciles ! 


194  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

Is  there  no  other  way  for  us  to  climb  to  knowl- 
edge than  through  pain? 

Must  we  drain  the  dregs  of  the  cup  of  sorrow 
only  to  find  at  last  that  it  was  our  own  hand  that 
pressed  it  to  our  lips? 

We  have  been  often  told  that  we  should  not 
grieve  the  spirit.  Is  it  not  equally  wrong  to  grieve 
the  body,  the  expression  of  spirit? 

The  highest  good  is  possible  only  when  we  have 
established  full  accord  between  these  two. 

The  body  is  grieved  by  our  distrust  of  any  of 
its  organs.  It  is  grieved  by  asceticism  and  foolieh 
starvation  as  well  as  by  unreasonable  indulgence 
of  the  sensual  life. 

The  reaction  from  one  form  of  selfishness  fre- 
quently carries  us  into  another  extreme  that  is 
just  as  far  removed  from  a  true  balance  as  the  first. 
We  often  swing  like  the  pendulum  across  the  arc 
of  the  circle  many  times  before  we  rest  in  the  spir- 
itual centre  that  is  equally  removed  from  both 
extremities.  Truth  involves  expression  that  is 
rounded  and  complete.  It  has  become  uncon- 
scious symmetry  that  is  not  emphasized  as  either 
vice  or  virtue.  It  identifies  the  human  and  divine, 
and  does  not  strangle  one  in  order  to  express  the 
other. 

We  do  not  throttle  the  child  to  hasten  his  prog- 
ress through  the  elementary  stages  of  his  education. 
We   guide   him  patiently  and  kindly,  with  full  as- 


THOUGHT    TONICS.  1 95 

surance  that  as  he  becomes  developed  he  will  put 
away  childish  things.  Meanwhile  his  childish 
things  are  doing  him  no  injury,  and  if  he  occasion- 
ally indulges  himself  in  too  many  "sweets"  his 
own  stomach  will  revolt  and  eject  the  poison. 

Nature  rules  her  university  better  than  we  govern 
our  particular  schoolrooms,  and  has  carefully  pro- 
vided that  man's  self-destructive  follies  shall  very 
soon  correct  themselves. 

Health  is  the  possession  of  every  one  who  has 
learned  to  draw  his  check  upon  the  Bank  of  Uni- 
versal Life  which  honors  all  right  demands,  and 
never  asks  to  compromise  with  creditors. 

It  is  a  sacrifice  of  power  to  divert  our  thoughts 
needlessly  to  the  concerns  of  the  personal  life. 
An  unworthy  self-indulgence  is  self-denial  in  the 
end,  for  the  reason  that  it  keeps  from  itself  the  best 
things,  while  much  that  is  called  "  self-denial  "  is 
simply  an  indulgence  in  the  high  privilege  of  ser- 
vice and  a  denial  only  of  the  lower  self. 

When  we  cultivate  thoughts  of  strength  for  others 
we  ourselves  grow  strong.  Habitual  thoughts  of 
peace  bring  us  tranquillity. 

The  thoughts  of  opulence  will  naturally  result 
in  wealth  if  rightly  held.  True  thought  will  lead 
to  action,  but  the  power  is  in  the  thought  more 
than  in  the  action. 

If  all  of  Wisdom's  ways  are  ways  of  pleasantness, 
and  all  her  paths  are  peace,  there  is  nothing  more 


196  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

unrighteous  than  disease  and  poverty.  Any  and 
all  attempts  to  find  excuse  for  them  in  ourselves 
or  others   is  perversion  of  truth. 

Life  is  not  the  mystery  we  suppose  when  we 
are  willing  to  look  it  boldly  in  the  face  with  hon- 
est eyes.  But  we  must  study  it  apart  from  the 
artificial  conditions  of  a  pseudo  "  civilization." 

Health  and  prosperity  arc  found  in  the  soul's 
own  heaven  of  simplicity. 

We  have  only  to  lift  our  eyes  to  the  serpent 
symbolizing  wisdom,  and  the  glance  brings  de- 
liverance and  healing.  We  have  only  to  dip  in 
some  thought-pool  of  Bethesda,  when  its  waters 
have  been  troubled  by  an  angel,  to  be  made  per- 
fectly whole  of  any  disease. 

Naaman  expected  the  prophet  to  do  some  great 
thing  for  his  recovery,  but  a  simple  act  of  obedi- 
ence on  his  own  part  proved  sufficient  for  his 
cleansing. 

Our  eyes  are  opened  by  the  healing  touch  of 
some  cool  waters  of  Siloam,  and  we  find  ourselves 
in  a  new  world  which  has  not  needed  to  be  reached 
by  dangerous  voyages  across  strange  seas,  but 
which  has  always  lain  about  us,  though  we  knew  it 
not. 

There  are  no  "peculiar"  cases  to  the  mental 
healer.  The  community  of  suffering  is  due  to  the 
community  of  ignorance  and  fear.  This  is  human 
and  racial,  and  not  in  any  sense  peculiar. 


THOUGHT    TONICS.  1 97 

When  we  have  recognized  our  common  weak- 
nesses and  killed  out  the  sense  of  separateness,  we 
have  learned  the  earliest  lesson  in  true  brother- 
hood. The  pride  of  family  is  gradually  disap- 
pearing in  the  larger  thought  and  knowledge  of 
fraternal  life. 

Suffering  has  often  proved  the  greatest  blessing 
to  humanity.  It  compels  us  to  search  out  and 
remove  its  cause,  and  thus  we  learn  the  beauties 
of  Eternal  Law. 

Life  is  more  continuous  than  our  recollection. 
Is  it  incredible  that  we  have  been  personally 
familiar  with  all  the  historical  eras  of  this  planet? 
Is  it  impossible  that  we  have  been  performers  in 
many  of  the  dramas  we  study  with  such  interest? 
May  we  not  have  played  many  parts  on  different 
stages  of  human  action,  governing  and  serving 
alternately  in  high  conditions  and  in  low?  Is  it 
difficult  to  conceive  that  we  may  have  moved  in 
the  long  past  through  all  the  range  of  climate  and 
of  social  circumstance  while  following  westward 
in  its  course  the  star  of  empire?  Could  we  not 
have  migrated  from  one  continent  and  race  to 
another,  and  from  oriental  quietude  to  the  evo- 
lution of  occidental  energy?  It  is  a  strange 
fact  to  be  observed  to-day  that  this  western 
nationality  of  ours  is  absorbing  the  composite  man 
of  Europe  and  the  East,  and  the  ready  adjustment 
to  new  conditions  suggests  that  they  are  possibly 


198  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

not  SO  new  as  may  appear.  One  sees  in  many  an 
American  face  strange  reminders  of  oriental  types, 
hinting  at  Egyptian,  Greek,  or  Hindoo  ancestry. 

There  is  much  in  the  social  and  political  condi- 
tions of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  in  this  nineteenth 
century  to  recall  the  Elizabethan  and  Roman  eras, 
which  in  their  turn  resembled  one  another  so 
peculiarly  that  it  would  hardly  seem  difficult  to 
recognize  the  old  performers  in  new  roles  and 
costumes. 

Through  all  the  weaving  of  mortal  and  immortal 
life  runs  the  golden  thread  of  spiritual  conscious- 
ness. As  we  gradually  awaken,  we  perceive  that 
life  itself  is  a  perpetual  miracle. 

The  old  legends  are  literally  true.  We  sell  our 
souls  for  a  bauble  when  we  deliberately  choose  the 
sensual  above  the  spiritual  and  give  it  the  reins  of 
government. 

When  the  daylight  comes  to  us,  whether  upon 
this  side  of  death  or  the  other,  we  discover  that  the 
material  coin  we  have  earned  by  the  exchange  is 
as  debased  and  useless  as  dead  leaves. 

If  here  we  abide  by  principle  we  will  find  there 
that  we  have  built  real  treasure  houses  and  filled 
them  with   precious  things. 

Some  people  sigh  for  rest  and  heaven  and  an- 
gelic company  while  blind  to  the  presence  of 
veritable  angels  in  their  own  households — guar- 
dian spirits  that  walk  lovingly  beside  them  in  the 


THOUGHT    TONICS.  199 

homely  guise  of  mortals  ministering  patiently  to 
their  daily  needs,  heedless  of  their  ingratitude  and 
selfishness. 

The  yearning  for  rest  is  generally  the  fruit  of 
self-pity  and  indolence.  It  is  best  cured  by  the 
stripes  of  severer  trouble  with  which  life  in  its 
kindness  often  arouses  us  to  tardy  recognition 
of  our  blindness.  The  new  difficulties  make  the 
former  state  appear  as  heavenly  compared  with 
that  into  which  we  have  fallen  through  our  per- 
sistent folly.  Many  of  those  who  long  the  most 
for  angels  to  comfort  and  succor  them  would  not 
know  an  angel  if  he  should  appear,  nor  would 
they  find  anything  congenial  in  his  company. 
They  are  not  fit  for  such  society.  There  is  but 
little  in  them  that  would  be  attractive  to  celestial 
beings. 

A  selfish  life  dulls  all  our  senses  and  makes  us 
both  deaf  and  blind  to  our  highest  good. 

If  we  give  ear  to  other  voices  we  cannot  hear 
the  voice  of  infinite  Wisdom. 

Our  Divinity  will  not  share  its  throne.  It 
demands  an  individual  kingdom. 

We  may  "  go  first "  and  bury  our  dead,  buy  and 
sell  our  lands  and  oxen,  and  bid  farewell  to  those 
that  are  in  our  homes. 

We  may  listen  to  the  voice  of  fame,  the  voice 
of  greed,  the  voice  of  pleasure,  and  in  the  end  we 
are  sure  to  declare  that  all  is  but  vexation  of  spirit. 


200  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST   TRAIL. 

As  these  voices  die  away  there  comes  a  silence, 
and  out  of  the  silence  comes  a  faint  and  gentle 
tone  that  we  have  never  heard  before : 

"  Behold  /  stand  at  the  door  and  knock." 

"  All  things  are  now  ready."  "  Ye  shall  find 
rest  to  your  souls." 

If  we  heed  this  voice  we  gladly  turn  away  from 
all  the  tumult  in  which  we  have  spent  our  days 
and  find  at  last  that  we  are  truly  honored  guests 
in  the  banqueting-house  of  Life,  and  the  banner 
over  us   is  Love. 


None  but  ourselves  can  ever  fix  the  measure  or 
quality  of  our  goodness. 

Every  one  is  as  good  as  he  chooses  to  be,  but 
none  so  good  as  he  knows  how. 


THOUGHT    TONICS.  20I 


Our  lives  should  not  be  governed  by  the  opin- 
ions of  others. 

The  only  matter  of  importance  is  that  we  should 
deserve  to  think  well  of  ourselves. 

When  we  are  truly  poised  we  are  indifferent 
alike  to  praise  and  blame.  Praise  is  no  longer 
sweet  to  the  taste,  nor  is  blame  bitter. 


202  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 


Nature  is  an  all-sufficient  nurse.  The  greatest 
assistance  we  can  render  her  is  to  trust  her  to  do 
her  work. 

Her  resources  are  not  limited  by  our  perceptions. 


EXPRESSION.  203 


EXPRESSION. 

Speech  comes  only  with  knowledge.  Attain  to  knowledge 
and  you  will  attain  to  speech. 

Life  itself  has  speech  and  is  never  silent.  —  "  Light  on  the 
Path:' 

"  The  strongest  and  sweetest  songs  yet  remain  to  be  sung." 

—  Walt  Whitman. 

It  has  already  become  an  axiom  in  metaphysics 
that  all  suffering  comes  from  misdirected  energy. 

Pain  is  an  abnormal  expression  of  life  forces 
that  have  been  diverted  from  their  proper  channels 
or  flow  through  them  in  disproportionate  volume. 

Nature  cannot  be  suppressed  when  once 
awakened.  Its  energies  cannot  be  long  confined 
in  storage  batteries  of  single  cells.  They  demand 
a  large  and  varied  expression.  To  this  truth  all 
departments  of  life  continually  testify.  The  fecun- 
dity and  diversity  of  nature's  powers  are  shown  in 
all  its  kingdoms. 

Man  may  choose  the  channels  through  which 
this  tireless  energy  shall  have  its  largest  expres- 
sion in  his  personal  life  —  whether  in  animal  and 
intellectual  vigor  wisely  blended,  or  in  either  one 
of  them  unduly  emphasized.  The  spiritual  force 
will   employ   itself   in   either   or  both  expressions 


204  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

subject  to  the  direction  of  the  individual's  own 
will. 

According  to  his  choice  will  he  manifest  power. 
The  highest  expression  makes  the  strongest  de- 
mand upon  the  infinite  source,  and  results  in  the 
largest  growth.  Power  upon  any  plane  is  always 
increased  by  use. 

A  wholesome  nature  finds  its  pleasure  in  its  work 
and  does  not  require  the  goad  of  fame  or  greed. 

The  demonstration  to  itself  of  its  own  power  to 
create  is  the  liveliest  satisfaction  it  can  experience. 

To  widen  its  activities  and  employ  them  in 
service  is  its  greatest  gladness  and  presents  no 
thought  of  sacrifice.  There  are  many  who  find 
no  pleasure  outside  the  sensual  life.  Man  does 
not  belong  among  the  grub  worms,  but  among 
the  birds.  When  we  begin  to  comprehend  our 
freedom  we  find  our  circulation  quickened,  and 
obstructions  disappear  as  our  impatience  lessens. 

The  universal  aim  is  happiness.  We  discover 
sooner  or  later  that  full  satisfaction  can  be  found 
only  in  right  living.  It  is  a  necessity  that  all 
men  should  eventually  become  good  or  miss  the 
fulfilment  of  the  supreme  purpose  of  human  life. 

Only  in  goodness  do  we  find  essential  power, 
and  only  in  power,  satisfaction.  Good  is  the 
strongest  magnet  known  to  us.  Every  pang  of 
suffering  is  an  impulse  toward  health  and  virtue. 
Nature  will  not  be  satisfied  with  any  imperfect  work. 


EXPRESSION.  205 

Suppression  is  not  dominion.  We  must  root 
out  and  exterminate  the  wrong  beliefs  —  the  men- 
tal weeds.  We  must  plough  and  harrow  the 
ground,  and  plant  an  entirely  new  crop  of  goodly- 
thoughts.  Only  in  this  way  can  we  become 
proprietors  of  our  fields  —  the  lords  of  our  do- 
mains. 

We  can  better  afford  to  give  our  land  a  thor- 
oughly new  sowing  than  to  preserve  large  tracts  of 
weeds  for  fear  that  in  destroying  them  we  shall 
part  with  a  few  heads  of  grain.  Our  work  must  be 
truly  "  radical  "  —  root  work.  Let  us  not  be  too 
"  nice  "  in  the  winnowing  of  our  seed,  for  fear  we 
should  be  thought  erratic  and  peculiar. 

It  is  more  trouble  to  harmonize  old  thoughts 
and  new  than  to  begin  again  our  thinking  upon 
entirely  new  lines.  The  Nazarene  discovered  in 
his  earliest  work  that  it  was  absolutely  useless  to 
attempt  the  putting  of  new  wine  into  the  old 
bottles ;  inevitably  it  must  burst  the  bottles.  We 
need  not  fear  that  any  truth  will  be  lost  to  a  truth- 
ful soul. 

All  error  is  the  incomplete  statement  or  mani- 
festation of  something  real.  It  is  a  partial 
and  imperfect  inspiration,  and  speedily  brings  its 
own  correction  through  the  suffering  that  it  en- 
tails. 

The  lesson  of  right  expression  is  the  most  im- 
portant we  have  to  learn.      It  demands  of  us  that 


206  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

we  should  guide  emotion  into  its  proper  chan- 
nels, and  control  the  valves  of  feeling  so  that  all 
utterance  shall  be  normal  and  wholesome,  and 
leave  no  smart  or  regret  behind. 

Immorality  comes  often  from  an  injudicious 
suppression  of  natural  and  proper  appetites  which 
have  been  denied  and  strangled,  when  they  should 
have  been  recognized  and  trained. 

Strangulation  is  not  the  highest  form  of  self- 
control,  nor  does  it  bring  desirable  results.  TheVe 
is  usually  as  much  intemperance  in  reformers  as  in 
sensualists,  whatever  be  the  banner  under  which 
they  rally. 

When  Lazarus  had  heard  the  voice  of  the  Christ 
he  came  out  of  his  tomb,  but  found  himself  bound 
hand  and  foot  with  graveclothes. 

It  is  not  enough  that  the  command  of  the  spirit 
should  reach  us,  "  Come  forth  !  " 

We  awaken  —  we  move  —  but  we  need  the  fur- 
ther word,  "  Loose  him  and  let  him  go." 

Our  graveclothes  cling  to  us.  They  are  our 
errors  in  which  we  have  been  educated,  our  false 
beliefs,  — our  prejudices,  resentments,  and  regrets, 
—  everything  which  in  any  way  seems  to  bind  us 
or  to  limit  our  sense  of  the  perfect  freedom  which 
belongs  to  truth. 

Resurrection  brings  us  into  newness  of  life,  out 
of  the  shadows  into  the  morning.  We  have 
nothing    further   to   do   with    graveclothes. 


EXPRESSION.  207 

Freedom  and  disease  or  poverty  can  never 
exist  together.  The  one  inevitably  destroys  the 
other. 

We  may  choose  between  them,  but  can  never 
hold  them  both.  It  is  strange  with  what  persis- 
tency we  often  cling  to  shrouds,  and  even  some- 
times miss  the  dreary  shelter  of  the  tomb  that 
we  have  left. 

Our  fountains  are  too  often  choked  with  rubbish 
turned  back  upon  themselves  and  draining  their 
waters  into  stagnant  pools. 

Mind  poisoning  precedes  blood  poisoning.  When 
we  dwell  in  secret  upon  the  thought  of  trouble,  we 
expose  ourselves  to  further  dangers.  We  think, 
perhaps,  that  our  lives  have  been  darkened  by 
tragedies  of  deepest  suffering.  We  imagine  our- 
selves to  have  endured  heavier  sorrows  than  often 
fall  to  the  lot  of  men.  Our  days  have  been  filled 
with  grief;  our  bread  has  been  as  ashes,  and  "  our 
tears  have  been  our  meat  day  and  night." 

Our  most  plaintive  waihngs  are  but  those  of 
children  crying  in  the  night.  In  the  light  of  a 
larger  life  the  trouble  of  the  past  will  disappear  as 
our  horizon  broadens. 

We  are  still  in  our  infancy,  and  suffering  like 
children  from  sore  gums  and  cutting  teeth.  As 
we  grow,  these  things  that  seem  so  serious  to-day 
will  be  forgotten  or  remembered  only  as  our  early 
primers. 


208  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

When  the  morning  comes  to  us  we  will  find  no 
cause  of  tears. 

If  we  have  preferred  the  mourners'  seats  to 
places  at  the  banquet,  it  has  been  a  matter  of 
taste,  and  the  funeral-baked  meats  have  doubtless 
served  our  needs. 

The  flagons  of  joy  have  stood  always  at  our 
elbow  while  we  supped  on  sorrows.  Life  is  never 
niggardly  of  its  gladness.  Heaviness  of  spirit  is 
never  imposed  upon  us  without  our  consent. 

Wherever  we  find  a  special  difficulty  of  environ- 
ment or  weakness  of  character,  we  also  find,  if 
we  look  closely,  a  special  faculty  for  grappling 
with  it.  We  discover  some  strong  point  of  op- 
portunity or  will  opposed  to  it  which  is  brought 
out  with  especial  emphasis  by  the  occasion  —  as  we 
find  in  tropical  countries  vegetable  antidotes  for  the 
bites  and  stings  of  poisonous  reptiles  that  abound. 

Wherever  we  find  a  marked  trait  of  disposition, 
or  a  peculiar  situation,  we  can  soon  discover,  in  a 
mental  diagnosis,  the  seed-pod  from  which  it  grew 
and  the  opposite  manifestation  which  made  it 
necessary.  Nature  always  aims  at  symmetry. 
She  balances  carefully  her  positive  and  negative 
forces.  With  every  need  there  is  some  resource 
with  which  it  can  be  met,  for  all  supply  in  nature's 
wonderful  expression  has  been  developed  in  re- 
sponse to  special  demand.  The  soul  is  like  a 
firefly  or  glow-worm.     It  radiates  an    inner  light 


EXPRESSION.  209 

which  illumines  its  own  way.  It  possesses  the 
magnetic  power  by  which  it  can  draw  to  itself  the 
people  and  things  it  finds  desirable.  These  in- 
terior forces  have  their  corresponding  organs  in 
the  eye  which  selects  and  the  arms  and  hands 
which  reach  for  the  food  that  the  mouth  demands. 
Our  spiritual  radiations  meet  and  mingle  with 
those  of  other  lives  that  are  related  to  our  own. 
Distance  cannot  separate  us.  We  are  guided  to 
places  and  occupations  which  fulfil  the  purpose 
of  our  incarnation,  and  through  which  we  give 
and  receive  all  needful  lessons. 

Moving  on  these  natural  lines,  we  find  the 
teachers  and  the  tools  that  we  require.  The 
mysterious  forces  emanating  from  ourselves  govern 
our  environment  at  every  moment.  In  our  jour- 
neyings  they  guide  our  choice  of  routes  and  plans 
of  travel.  In  library  or  bookstore  these  invisible 
rays  search  out  and  bring  to  our  attention  that 
which  we  find  helpful,  no  matter  how  remotely 
it  may  be  hidden  and  shelved. 

In  what  appears  to  be  quite  accidental  ways 
particular  paragraphs  and  pages  that  we  need  are 
brought  before  our  eye.  There  is  no  search-light 
of  man's  invention  which  is  anything  more  than  a 
poor  suggestion  of  this  spiritual  intelligence  en 
lightening  every  human  being.  No  magnet  equals 
it  in  its  attracting  power.  The  universe  is  the 
field  of  its  radiant  energy. 


2IO  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

Its  currents  are  as  irresistible  as  the  law  of 
gravitation.  It  is  the  expression  of  the  same  in- 
finite wisdom  which  has  provided  for  the  sparrow 
and   the  lily. 

As  yet  the  race  has  made  but  small  demands 
upon  the   natural  resources  of  our  planet. 

Malthus'  theory  is  weak  in  that  it  takes  account 
of  only  visible  supplies.  It  overlooks  the  fact 
that  every  fresh  discovery  in  science  shows  us  a 
new  force  stronger  than  any  known  before. 

If  steam  is  to  be  supplanted  by  electricity,  and 
electricity  by  solar  energy  or  liquid  air,  why  should 
we  be  anxious  about  the  exhaustion  of  forests  and 
coal-beds? 

If  one  drop  of  water  contains  an  untold  power, 
or  a  cubic  foot  of  atmosphere  the  energy  of  10,000 
foot-tons,  it  would  seem  as  if  we  had  no  lack  of 
force  at  our  command. 

If  nine-tenths  of  our  nourishment  is  derived  from 
the  atmosphere,  as  is  now  claimed  by  science,  it 
would  surely  be  no  impossible  problem  to  dis- 
pense with  the  other  tenth  or  find  for  it  some  sub- 
stitute for  the  food  we  now  think  necessary. 

At  least  we  need  not  yet  begin  to  tremble  at 
the  thought  of  a  possible  increase  in  population 
beyond  the  sustenance  provided  by  Dame  Nature. 

It  would  be  just  as  wise  to  fear  lest  the  birds  and 
fishes  should  exhaust  their  food-supply  because 
they  grew  so  rapidly  in  numbers. 


EXPRESSION.  2  I  I 

If  we  would  put  our  emphasis  on  circulation 
rather  than  accumulation  we  would  find  that  much 
of  our  difficulty  concerning  supply  would  vanish. 
If  we  would  recognize  the  value  of  the  principle  of 
giving  in  place  of  the  constant  thought  of  getting 
we  would  not  so  often  find  ourselves  in  poverty. 
We  need  to  make  more  frequent  use  of  the  exten- 
sor muscles,  to  open  and  reach  out  to  one  another, 
instead  of  so  constantly  desiring  to  draw  into 
ourselves.  We  talk  of  being  just,  and  fail  of  being 
generous.  The  virtues  upon  which  we  pride  our- 
selves are  always  developed  at  the  cost  of  symme- 
try of  character,  and  so  changed  into  vices  in  the 
process. 

Life  is  strong  and  true  in  its  expression  only  when 
purpose  and  action  are  united  and  allied  with  will. 

Never  for  an  instant  should  we  give  lodgment 
to  an  untrue  thought. 

It  opens  the  door  to  serious  results,  and  puts  our 
instrument  out  of  tune.  Impatience  is  explosive. 
It  is  like  the  nitrogen  in  gunpowder.  We  can  no 
more  predict  the  result  of  setting  it  free  than  we  can 
tell  the  spot  where  lightning  will  strike  when  it  has 
torn  its  way  through  the  cloud  and  descended 
earthward. 

Our  only  safety  is  in  eradicating  it  altogether 
from  our  temperament. 

Emphasis  is  generally  both  the  child  and  father 
of  impatience. 


2  12  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 

It  implies  a  doubt  of  our  own  statement.  When 
we  are  confident  of  the  strength  of  our  position 
our  tones  are  steady,  our  speech  is  calm,  and  the 
entire  expression  of  voice  and  action  is  in  har- 
mony with  our  highest  thought. 

Nature's  chromatic  scale  has  many  octaves. 
The  universal  energy  finds  utterance  in  weeds  as 
well  as  flowers,  fruits,  and  forests.  The  same  cre- 
ative forces  are  at  work  in  all. 

Even  the  weeds  are  fragrant,  after  the  cleansing 
of  a  storm,  when  the  dust  of  the  highway  has  been 
vv^ashed  away. 

Can  we  not  see  that  the  same  transforming 
energy  that  is  manifested  among  the  most  highly 
developed  of  our  fellow-men  is  working  also  in  the 
slums  of  the  great  cities?  The  corruption  that  we 
find  so  repulsive  and  distressing  will  be  surely 
washed  off  by  the  storms  of  experience. 

The  divine  principle  which  is  within  every 
human  being  will  sometime  manifest  itself,  for  all 
are  made  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  supreme 
good.  We  cannot  believe  in  God  and  refuse  to 
believe  in  man. 

Much  of  our  distress  at  sin  and  suffering  results 
from  want  of  understanding  of  the  principles  that 
govern  Hfe.  There  are  many  foolish  ones  whose 
tearful  sympathies  are  but  the  symptoms  of  a 
moral  hysteria,  in  which  they  indulge  themselves 
from  an   unconscious  love  of  sensation  and   desire 


EXPRESS/ON.  2  I  3 

of  approbation.  In  a  court  of  spiritual  equity  they 
would  be  convicted  of  obtaining  admiration  under 
false  pretences. 

If  we  could  awaken  to-morrow  with  the  full 
assurance  that  all  our  desires  would  be  accom- 
plished speedily,  might  it  not  be  possible  that  we 
would  examine  them  more  seriously?  Might  we 
not  discover  that  some  of  our  supposed  desires 
would  result  in  serious  embarrassment?  Do  we 
really  wish  to  have  back  among  us  all  the  friends 
for  whom  we  are  in  mourning?  Is  it  not  true  that 
sorrow  at  death  is  often  in  inverse  ratio  to  the 
grief  expressed,  and  that  a  deep  veil  or  hat-band 
may  be  only  a  precaution  to  conceal  the  satisfac- 
tion of  its  wearer?  There  are  many  who  delude 
themselves  with  fictitious  troubles  and  have  no 
grounds  whatever  for  their  claim  that  they  have 
been  defrauded  of  their  happiness. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  we  could  know  that  our 
sincerest  wishes  were  on  the  eve  of  realization, 
how  quickly  would  our  lives  respond  to  the  stimulus 
of  such  a  confidence! 

What  strength  and  gladness  we  would  show, 
relieved  from  the  depressing  influences  of  old 
anxieties  and  fears ! 

What  new  vigor  would  assert  itself  as  the  result 
of  losing  all  our  doubts  !  With  what  a  fine  scorn 
we  would  look  upon  our  tonics  and  doses,  as  quite 
useless  in  the  new  conditions  of  our  minds  !      Dys- 


214  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

pepsia  and  heart  trouble,  rheumatism  and  neural- 
gia, would  vanish  as  if  by  magic,  showing  us  that 
all  causes  of  disease  are  in  the  mind  and  can 
be  changed  through  mental  impulse. 

We  may  have  this  impulse  now.  It  comes 
with  the  knowledge  that  all  forces  on  the  causal 
or  astral  plane  are  pledged  to  the  fulfilment 
of  man's  purpose  when  that  purpose  is  held  un- 
flinchingly. It  is  our  fickleness  and  cowardice 
that  oftenest  defeat  our  aims.  The  man  who  dares 
and  perseveres  is  the  man  who  wins.  Daring  and 
perseverance  are  rare  virtues,  and  always  effectual 
when  given  right  direction. 

If  we  are  not  satisfied  with  what  our  lives  ex- 
press in  their  environment  and  bodily  condi- 
tions, we  must  alter  our  desires  and  destroy  our 
fears. 

Freedom  is  to  be  had  only  on  these  terms. 
Back  of  all  unrest  is  desire  or  fear  gnawing  like  a 
worm  at  the  root  of  happiness. 

The  imperfect  results  that  we  show  in  our  ac- 
tivities are  largely  due  to  indecision  and  uncer- 
tainty of  purpose.  We  need  to  learn  that  what  we 
call  ambition  is  a  hindrance,  not  a  help. 

Large  unfoldment  is  the  only  true  aim  of  life, 
not  great  achievement  or  accumulation  of  material 
results. 

The  question  is  often  asked,  "  How  can  I  know 
my  work  and  place  ?  " 


EXPRESSION.  2  I  5 

How  do  the  planets  find  their  orbits,  and  what 
keeps  them  true? 

As  we  have  said  before,  they  move  on  the  lines 
of  least  resistance,  and  we  are  subject  to  the  same 
governing  principle.  This  line  is  determined  by 
our  purpose. 

We  alternate  continually  between  a  belief  in 
fate  and  an  uncomfortable  sense  of  personal  respon- 
sibility. 

Destiny  and  will,  and  our  particular  relation  to 
them,  are  the  questions  that  most  vex  us.  We 
find  it  difficult  to  adjust  these  powers  to  our  con- 
trol and  satisfaction.  They  are  the  columns  upon 
which  life  rests,  but  the  point  of  juncture  in  the 
arch  that  joins  them  is  above  the  clouds  and  be- 
yond our  mortal  sight. 

Our  proposition  is  incomplete.  We  are  under- 
taking higher  mathematics  before  we  have  mastered 
the  tables. 

There  are  other  factors  necessary  to  the  solution 
of  such  questions  which  are  not  yet  within  our 
grasp.  At  this  point  faith  becomes  a  scientific 
principle. 

All  natural  science  is  based  upon  the  postulate 
of  an  atom.  This  is  an  hypothesis  that  is  not  yet 
supported  by  any  evidence  of  the  senses.  We 
have  never  seen,  heard,  tasted,  smelled,  or  touched 
an  atom.  Yet  we  make  it  the  corner-stone  of  all 
material  science.     We  predicate  its  shape,  move- 


2l6  DISCOVERY    OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

ments,  and  combinations.  The  most  powerful  micro- 
scope has  not  as  yet  revealed  its  existence,  but  this 
in  no  way  disturbs  our  faith.  We  regard  the  atom 
as  something  infinitely  small.  Why  should  we  not 
accept  a  law  that  governs  it  which  is  infinitely  great  ? 
Let  us  attribute  to  this  government  infinite  wis- 
dom, power,  and  benevolence,  expressed  in  an 
unfailing  accuracy.  This  new  factor  helps  ns  to 
contemplate  fate  with  a  sense  of  personal  safety. 
It  puts  in  our  hands  a  magic-lantern  which  throw* 
a  flood  of  light  upon  one  part  of  our  problem. 

Every  revelation  of  science  tends  to  strengthen 
and  confirm  this  theory  of  orderly  government. 

Nature  insists  upon  perfection,  and  all  defectiva 
types  carry  the  seeds  of  their  own  destruction. 
All  healthy  life  perpetuates  itself  with  an  increas- 
ing power  and  momentum. 

We  believe  that  the  law  that  governs  the  universe 
governs  every  single  planet  of  its  system.  We 
must  carry  this  statement  further  and  apply  it  to 
every  detail  of  the  mineral,  vegetable,  and  animal 
kingdoms,  else  the  atoms  would  move  in  chaos  and 
all  life  would  be  erratic  and  indeterminate.  What, 
then,  could  hold  the  planets  in  their  orderly  move- 
ment? If  we  accept  this  view  we  must  include 
the  individual  life  of  man  in  the  operation  of  the 
law.  We  must  also  extend  it  to  every  moment  of 
his  existence  and  every  incident  of  his  experience. 
We   must    choose    between    absolute    government 


EXPHESSION.  2  I  7 

and  absolute  chaos.     There  is   no  middle  ground 
conceivable. 

This  does  not  lead  us  to  fatalism  in  the  usual 
understanding  of  that  word.  We  recognize  a 
universal  power  and  with  it  we  identify  man's  will. 
We  perceive  that  as  he  unfolds  he  learns  to  con- 
centrate and  direct  all  natural  forces  —  that  he 
embodies  in  himself  all  nature's  kingdoms,  elements, 
and  forms.  We  are  compelled  to  see  in  him  the 
lawful  ruler  and  ascribe  to  him  both  power  and 
responsibility,  awaiting  only  his  recognition  and 
acceptance. 

But  before  he  can  be  crowned  he  must  take  the 
oath  of  allegiance  to  his  higher  self,  which  is  the 
individual  expression  of  an  infinite  good.  Little 
by  little  man  discovers  that  his  limitations  are 
altogether  those  of  ignorance  and  are,  therefore, 
wholly  mental.  Larger  recognition  brings  larger 
demands  and  the  power  of  appropriation  grows 
with  the  mastery  of  larger  expression. 

Every  imperfect  and  false  note  that  has  been 
struck  in  this  attempt  of  the  race  to  master  the 
harmonies  of  life  has  left  its  vibrations  in  earth's 
atmospheres. 

Science  asserts  that  all  vibrations  are  eternal, 
whether  of  light  or  sound.  Thus  every  act  of  a 
human  being  must  be  ineffaceably  stamped  in  his 
surroundings,  and  every  sound  remain  in  the  great 
cosmic  ocean. 


2l8  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

There  are  pictured  scenes  of  strife  and  sacri- 
fice, of  cruelty  and  heroism,  of  gentleness  and 
love;  sights  and  sounds  of  an  infinite  range, 
embracing  every  note  to  which  the  human  eye  or 
ear  can  make  response. 

There  are  mists  and  fogs  of  thought  as  well  as 
turbulent  seas  and  angry  billows.  Our  bodies 
are  subject  to  an  estimated  pressure  of  fifteen 
pounds  to  the  square  inch  of  atmosphere  and  two 
hundred  pounds  of  ether.  Who  shall  estimate  the 
power  of  the  thought  currents  which  continually 
swirl  about  us,  bringing  to  every  mind  influences 
of  restlessness  or  peace? 

Our  troubled  dreams  are  from  these  wandering 
impulses  impinging  on  our  lower  consciousness 
when  in  a  negative  condition.  Their  influence  will 
sometimes  cling  to  us  on  awakening  as  moisture 
to  our  garments  on  a  foggy  morning  at  the  shore. 
Much  of  our  depression  in  the  early  hours  of  the 
day  may  be  traced  to  superficial  experiences  on 
the  astral  plane.  If  we  will  recognize  them  as  of 
no  more  significance  than  the  passing  clouds  or 
showers  of  spring  we  may  easily  shake  them  off" 
as  we  would  the  water  from  our  clothes.  Thought 
climates  are  as  yet  unrecognized  by  meteorol- 
ogists. Yet  they  are  no  less  real  than  those  we 
seek  for  the  relief  of  fleshly  ills,  and  they  are 
stimulating  or  depressing  to  our  mental  life.  They 
arc  the  secret  impulses  of  those  that  surround  us. 


EXPRESSION,  2  I  9 

the  subtle  emanation  of  their  inmost  purpose  and 
desire. 

Until  one  has  developed  his  individuality  he  is 
constantly  subject  to  these  mental  currents.  As 
his  own  thought  becomes  more  definite  in  its  aims 
and  positive  in  character  he  ceases  to  suffer  from 
the  thoughts  of  others. 

When  we  are  ready  to  yield  to  others  all  that 
we  can  give  of  loving  help  we  shall  not  fail  of  any- 
thing we  need  in  return.  The  compensation  may 
take  different  form  from  what  we  would  have 
chosen,  but  it  will  be  none  the  less  real.  It  may 
not  be  so  much  in  the  way  of  gratification  as  of 
discipline  and  a  lesson  in  self-control,  but  what- 
ever it  may  be  it  will  surely  add  to  the  riches  of 
our  life,  for  it  is  the  expression  of  the  perfect  law 
of  equity,  and  with  what  measure  we  mete,  it  shall 
be  measured  to  us  again.  When  we  have  given  to 
another  all  it  is  our  privilege  to  give  we  will  receive 
whatever  it  is  our  privilege  to  get  from  any  person 
with  whom  we  are  brought  into  the  relations  of 
the  home,  the  office,  or  society. 

Through  such  relations  we  will  pass  to  larger 
and  better  conditions,  or,  having  fulfilled  the  pur- 
pose for  which  we  were  brought  together,  our  lives 
will  now  diverge  for  working  out  the  higher  good 
of  both.  With  this  conviction  we  can  look  back 
without  regret  and  forward  without  fear.  Is  it  not 
better  to  frankly  recognize   this  truth  and  work 


220  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

consciously  and  intelligent!}'  with  it  than  to  indulge 
ourselves  in  passive  resentment  or  personal  an- 
tagonism? In  moments  of  clear  vision  we  perceive 
that  we  have  no  enemy  but  ourselves,  and  that  all 
our  varied  experiences  have  been  the  manifesta- 
tion of  our  own  unsuspected  impulses. 

If  suffering  brings  us  to  this  discovery  at  last  its 
only  purpose  is  fulfilled  and  we  can  go  on  our  way 
rejoicing.  We  can  at  all  times  open  our  ears  to 
cither  harmony  or  discord,  for  there  is  no  environ- 
ment yet  discovered  where  either  exists  without 
the  other. 

Through  the  science  of  adjustment  we  learn  to 
relate  ourselves  pleasantly  and  helpfully  to  every 
individual  and  incident  that  comes  into  our  lives. 
Impatience  delays  results,  while  ready  acceptance 
hastens  them. 

Success  is  the  expression  of  true  individuality. 
None  can  bestow  it  on  another.  None  can  prevent 
or  hinder.  It  must  be  won  by  each  of  us,  and 
through  the  winning  we  accomplish  our  develop- 
ment. This  is  a  simple  creed  and  one  that  never 
needs  to  be  revised,  as  every  step  of  progress  fur- 
nishes fresh  evidence  of  its  truth. 

We  talk  of  love  as  an  emotion,  when  we  ought 
to  recognize  it  as  a  principle  that  underlies  the 
universe.  Emotional  love  as  compared  with  the 
spiritual  principle  is  as  the  fleck  of  foam  blown  from 
the  crest  of  the  wave.     It  is  but  a  faint  suggestion 


EXPRESSION.  22  1 

of  the  tranquil  depths  below  which  no  wind  has  ever 
ruffled  and  no  sounding-line  has  ever  fathomed. 
True  love  is  a  spiritual  atmosphere  rather  than  a 
personal  impulse.  It  seeks  nothing  for  itself  but 
the  opportunity  of  expression.  Jealousy  is  greed 
of  affection.  It  is  the  selfish  clamor  of  unloving 
thought.  It  is  a  parody  of  love  and  always  with- 
out excuse. 

To  understand  life  intelligently  through  all  its 
various  expressions  it  is  necessary  to  distinguish 
between  cause  and  occasion.  We  often  confound 
the  two.  The  wind  that  lays  low  one  forest  tree 
only  strengthens  another  in  its  powers  of  endur- 
ance. The  tree  fell  not  simply  because  it  was  in 
the  path  of  the  gale,  but  because  it  was  unsound  or 
not  deeply  rooted.  The  storm  was  the  occasion 
of  its  fall,  but  the  real  cause  was  in  itself 

All  our  difficulties  are  but  tests  of  our  powers. 
None  of  them  are  sufficient  to  explain  our  failures. 
With  every  tribulation  comes  some  comforting 
angel  who  is  interested  in  our  triumph  and  will 
reinforce  our  strength  if  we  will  accept  the  service 
that  he  offers.  AH  the  good  powers  of  the  universe 
are  drawn  to  our  side  in  the  day  of  battle  if  we 
raise  the  banner  of  truth.  The  only  boon  truth 
ever  asks  is  the  opportunity  of  expression  through 
our  lips  and  lives,  that  we  may  receive  her 
benediction. 

Truth  has  never  known  defeat,  and   in  so  far  as 


222  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

vvc  ally  ourselves  with  truth  do  we    become  invin- 
cible. 

No  chains  of  circumstance  can  fetter  the  true 
man.  He  asks  no  odds  of  fortune,  and  in  every 
hour  of  adversity  he  expresses  power,  and  calmly 
awaits  the  victory  he  knows  is  sure  to  come. 


Nothing  can  be  "  beyond  our  strength,"  though 
much  may  be  beyond  our  present  understanding 
of  how  to  make  that  strength  available. 


EXPRESSION.  223 


Eagerness  and   indolence  are  both  obstructive 
and  result  in  suffering. 

Nothing  can  come  to  us  except  we  draw  it. 

Nothing  can  stay  when  we  let  go. 

Nothing  can  go  till  it  has  fulfilled  its  purpose. 


224  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 


Nothing  that  we  can  do  can  bring  discredit  upon 
truth. 

If  truth  were  dependent  upon  mortal  demon- 
stration for  its  credit  it  would  long  since  have  suf- 
fered bankruptcy. 

Neither  can  we  make  a  sacrifice  for  truth.  It 
always  compensates  abundantly  an  honest  seeker. 


THE   POWER    OF  GLADNESS.  225 

XL 
THE   POWER    OF    GLADNESS. 

Go  your  way,  eat  the  fat,  and  drink  the  sweet :  .  .  . 
neither  be  ye  sorry  ;  for  the  joy  of  the  Lord  is  your  strength. 
—  Nehemiah  viii.  10. 

We  cannot  play  the  chords  of  "  success  "  upon 
an  instrument  relaxed  by  disappointment  and  dis- 
couragement, nor  with  the  harp-strings  held  at 
nervous  tension  by  anxiety  and  fear.  Doubt  and 
longing  are  destructive  of  all  harmonies.  Only  a 
masterful  confidence  in  the  universal  Life  and  in 
ourselves  as  its  expression  can  strike  the  notes  of 
power  and  produce  the  clear,  full  tones  in  which 
true  purpose  finds  complete  accomplishment. 

"  Be  happy  and  you  will  be  good  "  is  a  very 
wise  injunction.  We  may  also  add,  "Through 
happiness  you  will  be  successful."  It  is  the  nature 
of  happiness  to  radiate  and  enlarge  its  expression 
by  finding  others  with  whom  it  can  share  its  joys. 
Goodness  and  happiness  are  really  interchange- 
able terms.  When  we  have  succeeded  in  obtaining 
happiness  for  ourselves  or  others  we  may  be  sure 
we  have  been  gaining  and  bestowing  both  good- 
ness and  power. 

The  only  trouble   with   many  people  is  stagna- 


226  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

tion  through  depression.  Their  chief  lack  is  mo- 
mentum. A  little  more  forceful  motion  would 
take  them  altogether  away  from  their  diflficulties 
and  diseases.  They  wear  their  yokes  like  oxen, 
because  they  do  not  realize  the  power  in  them- 
selves. Let  their  realization  be  awakened,  and 
their  spiritual  will  aroused  and  applied  with  its 
tremendous  energy,  and  all  bonds  and  obstructions 
will  easily  fall  away  from  them. 

There  is  no  force  that  can  accomplish  this  more 
quickly  than  the  thrill  of  joy  and  gladness.  There 
is  no  stimulant  that  is  more  speedy  or  thorough  in 
its  action.  It  is  a  natural  tonic,  and  the  entire 
system  responds  to  its  exhilarating  vibrations. 
Anything  that  arouses  confidence  in  life,  with  a 
larger  sense  of  its  use  and  beauty,  increases 
human  energy  and  prepares  the  best  conditions  of 
success  in  all  its  undertakings.  It  is  even  better  to 
build  castles  in  the  air  than  to  dwell  in  caves  of 
gloom.  The  imagination  is  more  worthily  em- 
ployed in  picturing  pleasant  things  than  in  brood- 
ing fears  and  entertaining  dark  forebodings.  It  is 
better  to  "  whistle  going  through  the  woods  "  than 
to  look  for  hobgoblins  in  every  shadow. 

We  are  never  left  in  life  with  an  entirely  empty 
cupboard.  There  is  always  some  little  portion  of  fat 
to  eat  and  sweet  to  drink,  if  we  will  only  go  our 
way  and  look  about  us  and  not  allow  the  leanness 
of  our  grief  to  absorb  our  thoughts,  or  our  tears 


THE   POWER    OF   GLADNESS.  22/ 

to  blind  our  eyes  and  fill  every  cup  with  bitter- 
ness. Simple  life  is  very  sweet  and  pleasant  to 
a  normal  nature,  even  when  stripped  of  everything 
that  most  consider  necessary  to  happiness. 

If  one  has  awakened  to  an  understanding  of  the 
real  and  a  power  of  discernment  of  the  artificial  — 
if  he  has  developed  the  creative  instincts  of  the 
soul  —  he  is  no  longer  swept  away  by  tides  and 
currents  he  cannot  control.  In  joy  he  finds  his 
strength,  and  no  change  in  externals  can  deprive 
him  of  the  gladness  of  to-day.  What  have  I  to  do 
with  the  yesterdays  or  the  to-morrows  of  my  life? 
My  responsibility  lies  strictly  in  the  present.  Why 
should  I  scatter  and  weaken  my  thought-forces  by 
regretful  recollections  of  the  imperfect  yesterday 
or  anxious  anticipation  of  the  uncertain  morrow? 
I  will  concentrate  all  my  energies  upon  the  pass- 
ing hour,  and  thus  will  atonement  be  made  for 
the  past  and  grace  developed  for  the  future.  To- 
day —  to-day  I  live.  The  grief  of  yesterday  is 
past.  To-day  I  triumph.  To-morrow  shall  find 
me  still  a  victor. 

Let  us  not  look  at  the  shadows  that  lie  behind 
us,  but  rather  at  the  sunbeams  that  fall  across  our 
paths;  for  "  every  shadow  points  to  the  sun."  We 
can  easily  lift  our  feet  over  the  pebbles  that  lie  in 
our  road  to-day,  but  we  must  let  our  thought  dwell 
with  the  spirit  that  guides  us,  —  not  with  the  feet 
or  the   pebble.    We  are  so  ready  to  magnify  every 


228  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

trouble.  We  take  life  much  too  seriousl}-.  At  a 
point  a  little  farther  on  we  will  find  that  the  most 
tragic  conditions  of  the  present  have  vanished 
like  the  mists  of  the  morning  when  the  sun  has 
climbed  to  its  meridian,  and  we  will  hardly  be 
able  to  recollect  even  the  cause  of  our  hap- 
piness —  so  expansive  is  the  nature  of  exist- 
ence. 

True  life  is  an  cve.r-prcsenf  opportunity.  It  is 
not  concerned  with  past  or  future.  It  is  in  the 
lowlands  only  that  we  suffer  from  the  malaria  of 
memory  and  fear,  and  our  spiritual  perceptions  are 
bedimmed  and  paralyzed.  We  have  become  like 
the  sleepers  in  the  enchanted  palace.  Then  comes 
the  Deliverer ;  the  Messiah  —  the  joy  of  the 
Christmas  morning  —  the  awakening  of  the  spirit- 
ual nature ;  and  we  enter  upon  the  road  that  leads 
from  Bethlehem  to  Paradise. 

One  does  not  need  a  battlefield  on  which  to 
prove  his  heroism.  The  opportunity  is  oftered 
daily  in  the  home,  the  shop,  the  office,  and  the 
factory.  Great  souls  need  never  be  beggars  of 
"  circumstance  "  to  manifest  their  quality.  They 
are  masters  of  all  conditions,  and  respond  with 
equal  cheerfulness  to  all  demands  of  daily  living. 

We  cannot  inventory  the  resources  of  our  life. 
Its  unexpected  opportunities  continually  surprise 
us.  They  are  not  limited  to  any  age,  condition,  or 
place.      Our  boldest  demands  and  expectations  are 


THE  POWER    OF  GLADNESS.  229 

but  paltry  when  compared  with  what  an  awakened 
spirit  soon  makes  actual. 

We  too  often  hasten  through  the  passing  days 
with  but  scanty  enjoyment  or  stolid  endurance, 
looking  hazily  to  some  distant  time  for  the  fulfil- 
ment of  desire.  The  best  conditions  for  future 
happiness  lie  in  the  largest  possible  appreciation 
of  the  present.  This  is  a  truth  we  all  admit;  yet 
we  spend  our  lives  in  following  happiness  as  a 
phantom  and  blinding  ourselves  to  present  good. 
There  are  wells  of  water  in  the  dreariest  desert ; 
yet  many  travellers  have  perished  chasing  a 
mirage. 

If  we  wish  to  develop  unlimited  power  we  must 
make  no  conditions  to  right  conduct.  We  must 
not  insist  upon  the  fulfilment  of  our  personal 
wishes  before  we  will  consent  to  happiness  or 
faith.  We  must  cheerfully  accept  all  surroundings, 
all  "  circumstances  "  of  the  present  hour,  as  the 
best  possible  for  our  unfoldment.  We  must  coop- 
erate heartily  with  every  difficulty  or  seeming 
obstacle,  with  entire  confidence  in  the  rule  of  the 
Eternal  Equities,  believing  also  that  — 

"  That  which  is  good 

Doth  pass  to  better  —  best." 

We  should  never  contend  with  a  fear.  It  is  a 
waste  of  time  and  effort,  and  as  useless  as  to  argue 
with  hysteria.     We  need  to  establish  firmly  in  our 


230  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

minds  the  thought  of  our  own  sovereignty.  We 
never  fear  that  which  we  know  we  can  control, 
and  we  are  here  for  the  purpose  of  learning  the 
mastery  of  what  we  call  Fate.  Let  us  snap  our 
fingers  at  all  the  "Devils"  of  the  ages  —  the 
formulated  fears  of  humankind.  Get  thee  behind 
me,  thou  Devil  of  Theosophy  —  "  Karma;  "  thou 
Devil  of  Astrology — "  planetary  influence  ;  "  thou 
spiritualistic  Devil  —  "  obsession  ;  "  and  thou  Devil 
of  Christian  Science  —  "malicious  magnetism"! 
Get  thee  behind  me  also  thou  great  Dragon  of 
Science  —  "  heredity  "  !  In  comparison  with  these, 
one  could  almost  welcome  back  again  the  old 
orthodox  Devil  —  "  Satan."  I  will  not  be  bullied 
by  the  threat  of  malicious  magnetism  from  the 
stars,  from  other  persons,  or  from  my  own  dead 
past  of  former  incarnations. 

Are  we  to  forget  that  in  the  manger  of  our 
spiritual  nature  lies  the  "  Prince  of  Peace,"  who  is 
to  put  all  things  under  his  feet?  If  we  turn  to  the 
contemplation  of  the  divine  power  we  em.body,  all 
our  fears  will  pass  away  like  the  shadows  of  the 
night.  Fear  is  a  mental  mirage.  It  is  an  optical 
illusion  —  a  refraction  of  certain  lines  and  angles 
due  to  our  mental  atmospheric  conditions  and  to 
false  lights  that  result  in  grotesque  distortion  of 
the  real. 

Strong  armies  have  the  least  fighting  to  do  to 
gain    their  ends.     Heavily  massed    forces  do  not 


THE  POWER    OF  GLADNESS.  23 1 

follow  the  guerilla  methods.  Their  strength  is  so 
evident  that  the  weaker  foe  retires  before  their 
advance,  with  but  faint  demonstration  of  resistance. 
It  is  the  feeble  and  broken  ranks  that  are  always 
the  most  harassed  with  conflict,  and  a  retreat  is 
almost  sure  to  be  disastrous. 

All  this  is  true  in  our  daily  experience.  The 
only  direction  in  which  we  can  safely  move  is 
forward.  Success  is  determined  by  our  force  of 
character  and  strength  of  resolution.  When  life 
is  disturbed  by  perpetual  conflict  we  may  know 
that  our  method  of  campaigning  is  at  fault.  We 
have  failed  to  bring  our  reserves  to  the  front  and 
to  mass  and  direct  our  forces  wisely.  We  have 
not  understood  and  tested  the  resources  upon 
which  we  could  have  drawn ;  else  our  advance 
would  have  been  less  diflncult. 

There  is  no  greater  source  of  weakness  than  to 
dwell  upon  the  power  of  an  adversary  until  our 
courage  has  been  undermined.  General  Grant 
prepared  for  battle  by  assuring  himself  that  the 
commanders  of  the  opposing  forces  were  quite  as 
much  afraid  of  him  as  he  could  possibly  be  of 
them.  Many  men  persist  courageously  in  the 
conviction  of  their  inability.  It  is  the  only 
thing  in  which  they  fully  believe,  and  every 
obstacle  they  meet  is  magnified  by  their  erratic 
fancy  and  their  feeble  will.  This  is  the  worst 
possible  form  of  self-conceit.  It  is  the  rankest 
kind  of  atheism. 


232  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

Let  US  snatch  the  trumpet  from  the  lifeless 
hands  of  the  dead  self — defeated  and  slain  on  the 
field  of  battle,  or  sorely  wounded  with  disappoint- 
ment and  grief.  Let  us  raise  it  again  to  our  lips  and 
sound  anew  the  brave  notes  of  the  charge.  Let 
the  bugle-tones  ring  out  across  the  field,  stirring 
every  pulse  to  a  forward  movement,  though  we 
ourselves  be  faint  and  weary.  Let  the  blasts  be 
clear,  and  strong,  with  no  uncertain  sound,  and 
many  a  wavering  one  shall  be  thrilled  with  a  new 
life  and  confidence,  and  aroused  to  seize  the 
spiritual  victory  that  is  assured  to  every  determined 
soul.  We  will  never  sound  the  recall.  Let  us 
turn  away  from  the  grave  of  every  disappointed 
hope,  not  with  a  dirge,  but  with  a  cheerful 
quickstep  and  triumphant  march,  like  soldiers  re- 
turning from  the  burial  of  a  comrade  —  ready  with 
brave  hearts  for  the  fresh  conflict  of  the  morrow. 

In  the  study  of  vocal  music  the  singer  does 
not  stop  discouraged  if  he  fails  to  touch  immedi- 
ately the  high  note  struck  upon  the  instrument. 
He  tries  again  and  again  until  he  learns  to  reach 
and  hold  it  with  his  voice ;  and  then  he  tries  a 
higher  key  and  enters  upon  fresh  efforts.  At  first 
when  we  sound  the  note  of  truth,  the  voice  breaks 
in  trying  to  give  expression  to  it  in  our  lives. 
Shall  we  therefore  chide  ourselves  or  one  another, 
or  shall  we  possess  our  souls  in  patience  and  keep 
to  the  score  until  wo  have  trained  ourselves  to  com- 


THE  POWER    OF  GLADNESS.  233 

pass  the  high  notes  easily?  We  can  learn  to  "  Hve 
the  life."  It  is  not  beyond  the  power  of  any  one. 
We  may  choose  our  own  time  and  methods  ;  let  us 
allow  to  others  the  same  freedom. 

The  keenest  pleasure  we  receive  through  our 
sense  life  is  but  the  faintest  suggestion  of  the  glad- 
ness of  the  spirit.  Instead  of  distrusting  and  con- 
demning the  sensuous  nature,  and  strangling  its 
expressions,  we  should  understand  its  spiritual  cor- 
respondence. Spirit  is  altogether  sensibility  and 
knowledge. 

Infinite  peace  and  power  are  developed  through 
the  recognition  of  unlimited  possessions.  In  this 
there  is  no  fever  of  unrest  —  no  eagerness  of 
desire  —  because  there  is  no  sense  of  time  or  space, 
nor  fear  of  loss. 

Many  persons  have  never  yet  been  more  than 
half  born  into  their  material  forms.  They  are  but 
sadly  imperfect  expressions  of  the  spiritual  beauty, 
power,  and  freedom  that  belong  to  them.  We 
need  not  be  afraid  of  too  much  happiness.  Our 
most  ecstatic  glimpses  have  been  but  as  moon- 
beams of  an  Arctic  night  compared  with  the  broad 
noon  of  an  eternal  day. 

Sleep  and  death  are  as  the  entrances  of  tunnels 
into  darkness,  from  which  we  emerge  to  sunny 
landscapes  of  pleasant  valleys,  breezy  table-lands, 
and  mountain-peaks.  In  the  enjoyment  of  the 
new  experience  we  think  no  more  of  the  shadows 


2  34  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

through  which  we  passed  to  reach  it.  The  dark 
tunnel  was  but  a  brief  incident  in  a  long  and 
delightful  journey. 

So  are  many  of  the  experiences  from  which  we 
shrink  and  in  which  we  can  see  no  necessity  of  the 
suffering  that  comes  to  ourselves  and  others.  If 
we  could  perceive  the  vistas  that  are  opened 
through  these  tunnel-days  and  the  landscapes  that 
lie  beyond,  we  could  find  causes  of  gladness  even 
in  the  shadows  and  feel  no  hardships  in  the  journey. 

To  overcome  disease  or  difficulty  we  must  strike 
a  vibration  higher  or  lower  than  the  one  prevail- 
ing on  the  plane  of  its  manifestation.  It  is  useless 
to  attack  it  on  its  own  ground.  This  is  like  playing 
"  tug  of  war"  in  which  contending  parties  pull  in 
opposite  directions,  and  alternately  gain  and  lose 
because  their  strength  is  evenly  matched. 

A  nervous  tension  needs  to  be  relaxed  by  strik- 
ing a  lower  keynote.  A  depressed  condition  can 
be  stimulated  by  a  higher. 

The  everlasting  problem  is  to  maintain  the  bal- 
ance between  positive  and  negative  conditions. 

If  the  eagle's  wings  were  unequal  in  length  or 
power  he  could  not  direct  his  flight  with  certainty, 
or  follow  the  guidance  of  his  will  and  eye. 

Mind  and  matter  are  the  wings  upon  which  we 
rise  to  higher  conditions  through  the  guidance  of 
the  will.  These  factors  must  be  balanced  and 
adjusted  to  each  other.     They  are  not  essentially 


THE  POWER    OE  GLADNESS.  235 

at  variance.  We  regard  them  as  on  unfriendly 
terms.  We  undertake  to  ignore  ■  or  neutralize 
one  or  the  other.  The  materialist  is  afraid  to 
study  spiritual  conditions.  The  spiritual-minded 
person  is  often  fearful  of  his  own  material  and  sense 
nature. 

We  cannot  poise  ourselves  upon  one  wing  alone. 
We  are  compelled  to  recognize  and  respect  equally 
the  animal  and  spiritual  natures  before  we  can  pro- 
gress in  direct  lines.  A  bird  with  a  broken  wing, 
a  boat  with  a  broken  oar,  will  move  but  in  a  circle. 

Freedom  involves  complete  command  of  both 
body  and  mind  by  the  awakened  spirit. 

As  long  as  we  hold  any  fear  of  what  we  call  our 
lower  or  our  higher  nature  we  have  not  been  eman- 
cipated. 

We  are  often  afraid  of  the  largeness  of  the  liberty 
we  profess  to  seek,  else  why  should  we  shrink  from 
death,  which  we  imagine  will  divest  us  of  all  influ- 
ence of  matter?  We  have  lived  in  so  narrow  a 
horizon  and  so  dim  a  light  that  we  find  our  vision 
is  but  feeble  when  we  lift  our  eyes  to  the  sun. 

We  are  still  cave-dwellers,  though  we  excavate 
our  caves  a  little  higher  up  the  mountains  where 
formerly  we  dug  them  in  the  valleys. 

There  are  metaphysical  as  well  as  sensual  caverns. 
The  difference  between  the  cliff-dweller  and  the 
mound-builder  is  only  a  matter  of  altitude.  They 
are  very  much   alike  in  the  furnishings    of  their 


236  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

abodes.     We    have   not  yet  learned  how  to   build 
houses  without  hands  eternal  in  the  heavens. 

Our  petty  theories,  whether  materialistic  or 
metaphysical,  we  will  not  find  available  for  build- 
ing-stones in  spiritual  mansions.  Theories  will 
change  and  crumble.  Only  principles  remain  un- 
alterable. No  principle  can  ever  fail,  though  man 
may  fail  to  hold  himself  in  right  relation  to  it. 

There  can  never  be  such  a  thing  as  "  a  principle 
at  stake."  It  is  impossible  to  make  an  "  extreme 
statement  "  of  a  principle.  The  extremes  of  truth 
are  too  far  off  for  us  ever  to  get  within  sight  of 
them  in  our  present  state  of  objective  being. 

Our  capacity  for  enjoyment  is  not  sufficiently 
developed  to  expose  us  to  any  danger  of  excess  of 
gladness.  We  very  soon  find  that  we  have  to 
catch  and  cook  our  own  fish  in  life  or  go  without 
our  supper.  If  the  fish  are  small  and  the  cooking 
underdone  we  cannot  blame  any  one  but  ourselves. 
This  is  the  severe  logic  of  evolution. 

Search  as  diligently  as  we  may,  we  will  not  dis- 
cover in  material  things  the  key  to  satisfaction  or 
the  answer  to  our  perplexities.  Spirit  alone  can 
solve  our  riddles,  for  the  reason  that  we  are  spirit- 
ual beings. 

Eighteen  hundred  years  ago  a  man  stood  by  the 
banks  of  the  Jordan  preaching  to  the  multitudes. 

"  I  am  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness, 
The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand." 


THE  POWER    OF  GLADNESS.  237 

He  stood  in  the  wilderness  of  Judea.  The  spot 
was  a  fit  type  of  the  dreary  waste  which  had  been 
made  by  Roman  tyranny  and  Hebrew  superstition. 
Church  and  state  had  combined  to  lay  heavy  bur- 
dens on  men's  shoulders  and  take  all  the  joy  and 
gladness  out  of  life  by  their  exactions.  The  won- 
derful civilization  of  that  day  had  resulted  through 
its  selfishness,  corruption,  tyranny,  and  greed  in 
making  life  itself  a  wilderness. 

Into  this  desert  came  a  voice  of  hope,  a  voice  of 
praise,  a  voice  proclaiming  a  kingdom  mightier 
than  that  of  Rome  ;  a  power  greater  than  the  Jew- 
ish priesthood.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  was  at 
hand,  with  its  message  of  deliverance,  the  opening 
of  prison  doors  and  promise  of  liberty  to  the  cap- 
tive. 

In  this  nineteenth  century  we  hear  again  the 
voice  of  truth  commanding  that  the  oppressed  go 
free.  It  finds  humanity  in  a  wilderness  as  dreary 
as  that  of  Judea,  enmeshed  in  an  artificial  civil- 
ization as  grievous  and  burdensome  as  that  of 
Rome,  tyrannized  by  false  religions  as  empty  in 
their  ceremonials  and  exactions  as  the  creeds  of 
ancient  Judaism.  And  the  voice  arouses  us  to  a 
new  confidence  in  life,  for  it  proclaims  that  the 
kingdom  for  which  we  have  waited  so  long  is  the 
kingdom  of  man's  own  royal  self-hood ;  that  it  is 
open  to  him  whenever  he  chooses  to  ascend  the 
throne.     It  declares  that  the  only  bondage  to  which 


238  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

he  ever  really  bows  is  the  tyranny  of  his  own  mis- 
taken thought.  Why  should  not  the  oppressed 
go  free  ? 

The  world  is  recovering  to-day  from  the  de- 
pression of  a  chronic  hysteria  into  which  it  has 
been  plunged  by  the  religious  teachings  of  the  past 
and  to  which  the  mental  tonics  of  new  thought  are 
being  most  successfully  applied. 

It  is  indeed  true  that  the  soul  can  create  for 
itself  a  world  into  which  pain  and  sorrow  cannot 
enter.  Is  not  this  the  only  heaven  we  shall  ever 
know  ?  We  may  enjoy  it  to-day  if  we  assent. 
The  dogma  of  election  is  true,  but  it  is  we  who 
elect  ourselves  to  everlasting  life  or  make  our- 
selves liable  (in  the  words  of  the  Westminster 
Catechism)  "to  all  miseries  in  this  life  — to  death 
itself  and  to  the  pains  of  hell." 

The  soul  continually  pleads,  "  Come,  ye,  blessed 
of  my  father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world." 

We  scarcely  realize  the  hold  that  superstition 
has  on  us  —  in  the  way  in  which  we  regard  life 
and  death.  Long  after  our  intellectual  assent  has 
been  withdrawn  and  we  have  begun  to  protest 
against  the  irrational  views  which  were  impressed 
upon  us  in  our  early  years  by  the  traditions  of  the 
elders,  we  are  unconsciously  dominated  by  those 
first  impressions. 

Under  these  influences  we  still  regard  with  great 


THE  POWER    OF  GLADNESS.  239 

solemnity  all  the  little  incidents  and  trials  of  our 
daily  living. 

We  exaggerate  their  importance  and  give  them 
a  fictitious  significance. 

When  we  resent  and  resist  our  difficulties  we 
provide  the  most  favorable  mental  soil  for  their 
rooting  and  growth.  The  germ  which  would  have 
easily  passed  over  us  harmlessly  finds  lodgment 
and  nurture  in  our  minds  and  rapidl}'  externalizes 
itself  upon  our  bodies.  We  suffer  only  because 
we  fail  to  transmit  the  harmonies  which  crowd 
continually  upon  us  and  would  have  their  passage 
through  us  if  we  would  permit.  We  insist  upon 
holding  to  the  bass  notes  when  we  ought  to  let 
them  go. 

We  could  change  the  vulgar  noise  of  our  en- 
vironment to  heavenly  music  by  opening  our  ears  to 
the  strains  of  the  invisible  choirs.  Exaggerated 
seriousness  is  worse  than  much  frivolity. 

Serious  natures  are  in  danger  of  excessive  tensity. 
This  is  the  first  symptom  of  disease. 

The  tree  of  close  fibre  is  snapped  by  the  hur- 
ricane that  passes  harmlessly  over  yielding  plants 
which  bend  easily  to  the  wind.  Nothing  from 
without  can  hurt  us  when  we  have  learned  the 
independence  of  true  life.  Nor  can  we  suffer  from 
the  want  of  anything  beyond  our  own  resources. 

When  the  soul  is  insulated  from  all  outward 
conditions  it  manifests  interior  power. 


240  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

It  does  not  need  to  practise  the  musical  scores 
of  others  or  blend  itself  with  any  artificial  keynote 
of  legend  or  tradition.  Its  own  utterances  are  mu- 
sical as  the  flowing  of  waters  or  the  song  of  birds. 

Nothing  outside  itself  is  authoritative  to  the  true 
life.  No  vows  of  obedience  are  necessary  except 
to  the  higher  self  When  we  move  forward  with 
the  will  and  the  step  of  the  conqueror  we  leave  far 
behind  us  all  the  hosts  of  difficulty  that  seemed  to 
compass  us  about. 

When  we  dwell  upon  the  severity  of  law  we 
forget  that  its  inexorable  action  proves  the  infinite 
tenderness  of  the  love  which  it  fulfils. 

Life  is  a  succession  of  wonderful  transformation 
scenes,  producing  marvellous  results  in  their  unex- 
pected combinations. 

Thought  is  the  scene-shifter  and  stage  carpenter. 
Nothing  is  beyond  its  skill  and  power  in  the  mo- 
ments of  its  highest  concentration. 

When  we  allow  ourselves  to  move  on  railroad 
tracks  of  habit  the  rails  get  smooth,  and  the 
wheels  turn  without  friction  in  the  habitual  direc- 
tion. 

If  they  do  not  carry  us  through  a  pleasant 
country  we  must  relay  the  track  of  thought,  and 
learn  to  apply  our  brakes  and  switches,  for  the 
thinker  himself  is  the  engineer. 

If  we  will  change  the  hungering  to  receive  to  a 
hungering  to   give  we  will   close   the   avenues  of 


THE   POWER    OF   GLADNESS.  24 1 

pain,  and  become  receptive  to  a  higher  good, 
which  will  find  in  us  the  expression  it  is  always 
seeking. 

There  is  great  danger  in  constant  dissatisfaction. 

Sooner  or  later  it  will  involve  the  health  or 
finances,  or  both,  for  it  destroys  the  mental  bal- 
ance, and  impairs  the  judgment. 

If  we  indulge  ourselves  in  sadness  or  impatience 
we  may  be  always  sure  our  sin  will  find  us  out. 

Impatience  opens  the  door  to  hysteria,  anger, 
and  insanity,  which  mark  regular  stages  in  the  loss 
of  self-control. 

If  we  will  brush  the  dust  of  selfishness  from  the 
lenses  through  which  we  look  at  life,  we  will  find 
illumination  for  every  emergency.  Our  spiritual 
vision  will  never  be  dimmed. 

Out  of  the  blackness  of  our  night  a  star  shines 
forth.  It  comes  as  a  new  thought  suggesting  a 
new  confidence.  We  follow  its  glimmer,  only  to 
discover  that  it  is  the  same  star  that  the  "  wise 
men  "  of  old  saw  in  the  East.  Across  the  desert 
trail  of  our  life  it  leads  to  a  new  Bethlehem.  Its 
light  grows  stronger  as  it  brings  us  to  the  birth- 
place of  the  Christ  within  ourselves.  The  spiritual 
man  is  the  Emmanuel  who  embodies  all  the  poten- 
cies of  life.  When  we  once  have  recognized 
this  royal  self  and  given  it  dominion  over  us  we 
find  and  tread  the  way  of  power.  In  every  life  the 
personal  man  is    crucified,  that  the    Divine    may 


242  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

manifest  its  glory  in  the  resurrection ;  and  in  the 
day  of  his  awakening  he  knows  that  he  has 
received  — 

' '  Beaut )•  for  ashes  ; 
The  oil  of  jo}'  for  mourning  ; 
The  garments  of  praise 
For  the  spirit  of  heaviness." 


The  powers  of  will  and  concentration  are  shown 
in  vice  and  disease  as  well  as  in  virtue  and  health. 

They  manifest  perversion  of  force  and  not  failure. 

Ifs,  Buts,  and  Ands  are  always  links  in  our 
thought  fetters. 


THE  POWER    OF  GLADNESS.  243 


Concentration  is  poise  of  mind  rather  than  forced 
action. 

Repose  of  spirit  is  absokitely  essential  to  the 
highest  expression  of  power. 

We  should  neither  dream  through  the  day  nor 
wake  through  the  night;  in  both  these  ways  we 
scatter  force. 


►44  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 


The  higher  self  knows  no  fear  and  sees  no 
obstacles. 

It  passes  everywhere  unhurt.  All  difficulties 
change  into  walls  of  defence  behind  it. 


A   PLEA    FOR  MATTER.  245 


XII. 
A   PLEA   FOR    MATTER. 

"  There  was  a  man  in  our  town. 
And  he  was  wondrous  wise  : 
He  jumped  into  a  bramble  bush 
And  scratched  out  both  his  eyes. 
And  when  he  saw  his  eyes  were  out, 
With  all  his  might  and  main 
He  jumped  into  another  bush 
And  scratched  them  in  again." 

— •  Mother  Goose. 

A  FRIEND  in  the  West  used  often  to  amuse  him- 
self in  asking  and  answering  this  conundrum : 

"What  is  matter?     Never  mind." 

"What  is  mind?     No  matter." 

I  quote  him  to  illustrate  two  of  the  popular  illu- 
sions, for  mind  and  matter  are  no  longer  regarded 
by  advanced  thinkers  as  different  elements  of  life. 

We  are  continually  proving  their  identity.  It 
has  long  been  our  habit  to  set  up  these  two  factors 
as  opposing  forces. 

We  are  emerging  from  the  dark  ages  of  mate- 
rialistic thought. 

We  have  felt  that  we  were  bound  and  limited 
by  matter,  that  we  were  held  to  the  animal  plane 
by  the  dominion  of  material  things  even  after  we 


246  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

have  recognized  the  fact  that  we  are  spiritual 
beings.  We  have  beHeved  that  our  highest  glory- 
in  the  future  would  be  to  pass  far  away  from  the 
necessity  and  use  of  matter.  Of  late  the  popular 
thought  has  been  showing  a  reaction. 

Mind  is  asserting  itself  as  the  governing  power 
even  in  the  mortal  life.  Materialism  has  had  its 
day  both  in  science  and  religion.  There  is  danger 
in  this  reaction  as  great  as  that  we  have  escaped. 
That  classic  rhyme  of  Mother  Goose  is  again 
proving  true.  History  repeats  itself.  We  put 
out  our  eyes  in  the  bramble  bush  of  materialism 
and  now  seek  to  scratch  them  in  again  in  another 
bramble  bush  of  most  irrational  idealism. 

The  conHict  between  mind  and  matter  has  long 
been  going  on  in  our  planetary  arena.  The  time 
has  come  at  last  when  matter  itself  is  getting  bul- 
lied. It  no  longer  clears  the  ring  as  formerly,  and 
impales  everything  upon  its  horns. 

A  recently  developed  school  of  metaphysicians 
impudently  asserts  that  it  has  no  real  existence. 

It  denies  it  even  the  respect  of  recognition  ex- 
cept to  denounce  it  as  a  will-o'-the-wisp. 

This  should  entitle  it  to  sympathy,  and  it  is  time 
we  came  to  its  relief  In  the  past  men  have  denied 
the  existence  of  spirit  and  taken  away  our  wings. 

To-day  in  denying  matter  they  do  not  leave  us  a 
leg  to  stand  on.  Is  not  one  illusion  as  bad  as  the 
other?     We  have  suffered  much  in  an  unreasonable 


A    PLEA   FOR  MATTER.  247 

emphasis  upon  the  exclusive  reahty  of  the  senses. 
We  will  continue  to  suffer  if  we  seek  to  ignore 
matter  or  denounce  it  as  a  thing  unworthy  to  be 
recognized  by  spirit.  We  have  as  good  reason  to 
distrust  a  teacher  or  philosophy  that  defines  hfe 
as  a  dream  and  matter  as  non-existent  as  those 
that  assert  that  there  is  no  reality  outside  material 
form. 

Matter  and  mind  are  two  sides  of  the  triangle 
of  life.  Whichever  we  choose  to  study  first  will 
bring  us  surely  to  a  recognition  of  the  other. 

The  scientist  comes  to  a  point  where  he  is  com- 
pelled to  erect  an  altar  to  the  unknown  God,  while 
the  spiritualist  finds  it  necessary  to  become  a 
student  of  the  science  that  he  has  perhaps  de- 
spised. 

Nowhere  is  superstition  more  prevalent  than  in 
materialistic  minds.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are 
none  who  show  deeper  concern  for  the  welfare  and 
comfort  of  their  bodies  than  those  metaphysicians 
who  deny  the  reality  of  matter. 

We  live  alternately  in  two  very  different  phases 
of  experience,  and  often  they  so  blend  that  "  one 
world  at  a  time  "  becomes  a  real  impossibility. 

Doubtless  all  conditions  have  illusions  that  are 
peculiar  to  themselves.  One  who  has  dropped 
the  coarser  body  is  not  living  a  more  real  life 
than  one  who  wears  the  earthly  garments.  It 
isn't  necessary  for  a  man  to  deny  the   reality  of 


248  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

his  overcoat  because  he  has  at  the  same  time  a 
good  suit  of  underwear.  Neither  the  underwear 
nor  overcoat  is  in  itself  sufficient  for  all  times  and 
places.  The  illusions  of  what  we  call  "the  other 
Hfe  "  are  as  bewildering,  no  doubt,  as  those  that 
especially  belong  to  this.  If  this  is  a  school-room 
in  which  we  study  coarser  matter,  that  is  one  in 
which  we  study  sublimated  matter.  Life  has  many 
mansions,  and,  so  far  as  we  know,  they  are  all 
school-rooms.  The  playgrounds  do  not  belong 
exclusively  to  either  state  of  existence.  It  is  as 
much  a  privilege  to  the  spiritual  being  to  try  its 
legs  in  the  material  world  as  to  try  its  wings  in 
the  astral.  All  religions  have  called  life  a 
dream,  but  when  and  where  do  the  realities  exist 
if  not  here  and  now?  This  is  a  world  of  affairs, 
and  in  it  we  work  out  by  day  the  lessons  we  have 
studied  in  the  world  of  mind  at  night.  By  and 
by  we  shall  remain  longer  in  the  higher  grade, 
and  find  there  too  affairs  in  which  we  shall 
apply  the  knowledge  we  have  gained  in  matter. 
All  power  is  the  expression  of  knowledge.  This 
is  attained  only  through  experience.  Hence  our 
need  of  constantly  changing  relations  toward  all 
the  factors  of  existence,  mental  and  material. 

As  soon  as  we  have  gained  adjustment  to  one 
situation  we  encounter  another,  demanding  the 
exercise  of  unused  forces.  In  this  way  our  illu- 
sions are  dispelled  as  the  sun  of  our  consciousness 


A   PLEA   FOR  MATTER.  249 

climbs  higher  in  the  heavens.  The  domain  of 
matter  is  not  of  necessity  a  twilight  land.  If  we 
are  ready  to  open  our  eyes  to  the  light  we  will 
find  the  high  noon  of  spirit  here  as  well  as 
elsewhere. 

Mortal  life  is  not  a  dream,  except  to  those  who 
prefer  to  sleep,  and  to  such  will  come  an  hour  of 
rude  awakening.  There  are  many  dreamers,  also, 
on  the  astral  planes.  The  passage  of  the  Styx 
does  not  serve  always  to  dispel  illusions.  It  some- 
times deepens  them. 

Mental  treatment  is  as  much  a  necessity  after 
death  as  before  to  those  who  prefer  to  believe  that 
the  actualities  of  life  belong  to  future  states  of 
being.  The  horizon  line  of  the  spirit  is  ever  a 
vanishing  perspective.  Forever  it  recedes  as  we 
advance. 

If  we  live  in  the  belief  of  necessary  bondage  to 
either  mind  or  matter  we  must  suffer  the  penalty 
we  have  imposed  upon  ourselves,  till  we  awaken  to 
the  truth  of  freedom  —  individual  and  universal. 

After  studying  navigation  in  the  schools  we  seek 
the  open  sea  to  put  its  principles  into  operation. 
When  we  have  finished  the  academical  course  of 
civil  engineering  we  need  the  fields  and  forests  for 
our  theodolite. 

The  botanist  and  gelogist  return  from  the  moun- 
tains and  plains  to  the  quiet  of  the  laboratory  to 
analyze  and  classify  the  specimens  with  which  they 


250  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

have  filled  their  satchels.  So  does  the  soul 
exchange  its  tranquil  home  in  the  realms  of  spirit 
for  the  more  turbulent  activities  of  material  life, 
where  it  may  demonstrate  its  powers,  and  so  does 
it  return  again  with  its  garnered  sheaves  of  earthly 
knowledge  to  the  contemplation  of  its  triumphs 
and  defeats.  There  are  always  two  voices  sound- 
ing in  our  ears,  the  voice  of  fear  and  the  voice  of 
confidence.  One  is  the  clamor  of  the  senses,  the 
other  is  the  whispering  of  the  higher  self.  If  we 
listen  to  the  first  we  are  unnerved.  If  we  give 
heed  to  the  other,  we  develop  power  and  become 
invincible.  When  the  young  sailor  climbs  to  the 
topsail  yards  for  the  first  time,  and  looks  down 
upon  the  narrow  deck  of  his  little  craft  rocking  so 
far  below  him,  he  sometimes  grows  dizzy  at  the 
unaccustomed  height  and  is  in  danger  of  falling. 
His  shipmates,  perceiving  his  danger,  will  call  out 
to  "  look  aloft."  He  turns  his  eyes  to  the  great 
blue  above,  forgets  the  swaying  ship,  and  feels 
himself  at  home  in  the  wide  expanse  of  sky  that 
stretches  out  around  him.  It  appeals  to  his 
higher  sense  of  soul.  His  eye  grows  steady.  He 
recovers  his  balance,  and  gains  a  firm  hold  on  the 
foot-ropes. 

"  O  Lord,  thy  sea  is  so  great  and  my  little  boat 
so  small,"  prayed  the  old  monk;  "grant,  I  pray 
thee,  that  thy  great  sea  may  not  swallow  up  my 
little   b^.at." 


A  PLEA   FOR  MATTER.  25  I 

When  we  look  aloft  we  accept  both  sea  and 
boat  as  realities  and  recognize  the  truth  that  the 
soul  is  the  greatest  reality  of  all  and  controls  all 
else ;  thus  we  place  ourselves  in  right  relations  to 
both  mind  and  matter  and  complete  our  triangle. 

When  science  has  admitted  that  the  atom  is 
intelligent  and  indestructible  it  has  transmuted 
matter  into  mind,  for  we  know  of  nothing  else  than 
mind  that  can  make  these  claims. 

Matter  and  mind  are  twin  offspring  of  one 
parent,  spirit. 

"  Every  molecule  of  matter,"  says  Professor  Dol- 
bear,  "  sets  the  whole  visible  and  invisible  universe 
in  a  tremor  through  its  radiating  waves.  A  crystal 
cannot  be  turned  over  in  the  hand  without  affect- 
ing everything  outside  of  it." 

Matter  is  a  vehicle  of  sensation,  and  through 
sensation  we  learn  the  material  lessons  of  this 
school  of  Earth. 

There  is  sensation  in  matter  because  there  is 
mind,  and  there  is  always  matter  present  in  sensa- 
tion through  the  movement  of  the  atmospheric  or 
etheric  waves. 

Matter  offers  the  resistance  necessary  for  dem- 
onstration of  the  superior  power  of  mind.  It 
is  the  substance  that  we  came  to  study  and  to 
control. 

This  resistance  of  matter  is  as  necessary  as 
atmosphere    and    wings  to  the  flight  of  the  bird. 


252  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

In  earth  we  find    the  plastic  substance   in    which 
to  study  the  art  of  living. 

If  matter  had  no  existence,  how  could  we  have 
an  objective  life? 

Through  matter  we  learn  all  that  we  know  of 
history. 

In  the  material  ruins  of  ancient  cities,  temples, 
and  palaces  we  come  in  touch  with  the  far  past. 
Through  its  tablets  and  monuments  we  acquaint 
ourselves  with  the  world's  records  until  such  time 
as  we  can  read  the  astral  pages  upon  which  all 
history  is  inscribed. 

In  fossils  and  petrifactions  we  learn  the  story  of 
evolution. 

Through  aerolite  and  solar  spectrum  wc  discover 
the  similarity  and  difference  of  other  worlds  in 
their  material  conditions. 

There  is  no  matter  without  motion.  There  is 
no  motion  without  mind.  Atoms  and  thoughts 
are  alike  magnetic,  and  through  the  selecting  prin- 
ciple attract  all  other  atoms  and  thoughts  of  the 
same  vibration.  Matter  is  mind  at  a  slower  rate  of 
vibration.  Mind  is  matter  at  a  higher  rate.  Spirit 
is  infinitely  more  rapid  than  either  and  rules  both. 

It  is  as  disastrous  to  have  too  little  respect  for 
matter  as  to  have  too  much.  If  we  appreciated 
it  better  we  would  value  more  highly  the  power 
of  mind  that  governs  it.  It  is  as  wrong  to 
distrust  our  bodily  organs  or    our  fortunes  as  to 


A   PLEA   FOR  MATTER.  253 

distrust  our  minds.  The  body  we  despise  will 
shrink  away  from  us  and  lose  its  power  and  beauty. 
The  fortunes  we  neglect  and  spurn  will  quickly 
pass  to  other  hands. 

The  larger  the  development  of  mind  the  larger 
will  be  its  expression  in  material  brain  tissue. 

When  we  have  mastered  matter  we  will  have 
mastered  death,  and  signed' our  own  emancipation 
proclamation. 

Until  that  task  has  been  achieved  we  have  not 
completed  our  material  studies.  Between  the 
highest  vibration  that  reaches  the  ear,  and  the 
lowest  vibration  that  reaches  the  eye,  there  is  an 
immense  and  unexplored  domain. 

We  have  as  yet  no  senses  that  can  come  in  con- 
tact with  it  and  translate  its  phenomena. 

With  only  five  senses  very  imperfectly  devel- 
oped, slaves  of  matter  as  we  are  to-day  in  many 
ways,  are  there  no  lessons  worthy  our  attention 
to  tempt  us  back  for  other  incarnations? 

Have  we  so  mastered  the  mathematics  of  this 
planet  that  we  are  ready  now  to  triangulate  the 
universe?  The  purpose  of  life  should  be  the  dis- 
covery of  our  real  relations  to  the  environment  we 
have  drawn  about  us. 

True  life  in  matter  is  simple  and  painless. 
Normal  living  is  a  delight  when  we  understand  that 
there  is  more  of  everything  we  want  than  we  can 
possibly  require  for  use. 


2  54  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

Mind  cannot  sink  in  the  sea  of  matter.  There 
is  nothing  that  can  drown  or  starve  us  but  our 
fears. 

Why  should  the  philosophy  of  reembodiment, 
which  has  been  always  held  by  the  larger  part 
of  the  world,  including  its  most  distinguished 
minds,  be  so  distasteful  to  a  few  who  have  not  until 
recently  been  made  familiar  with  its  teachings? 

Because  we  have  learned  one  or  even  a  dozen  of 
the  three  thousand  tongues  of  human  kind,  are  we 
ready  to  converse  with  angels,  and  be  enrolled  in 
the  schools  of  the  hierarchies?  Is  one  short  term 
sufficient  for  us?  Have  we  in  one  brief  life 
sounded  the  depths  and  scaled  the  heights  of 
human  knowledge?  What  do  we  really  know  of 
life  on  higher  or  on  lower  scales  than  those  to 
which  we  were  born?  Can  the  peasant  and  the 
sovereign,  the  scholar  and  the  tramp,  adjust  them- 
selves to  one  another's  hardships,  responsibilities, 
and  opportunities,  and  apply  to  them  the  principles 
they  have  found  useful  in  their  own? 

Is  the  pupil  who  has  been  only  through  the 
simple  tables  of  arithmetic  prepared  for  the  calculus 
and  conic  sections?  How  far  have  we  advanced 
in  the  control  of  matter  while  we  are  mastered  by 
famine  and  tornado,  to  say  nothing  of  the  extra 
cup  of  coffee  at  our  breakfast  table,  or  our  fear 
of  being  kept  awake  at  night  because  our  tea  is 
a    trifle    "strong"?     This   planet  offers    infinitely 


A   PLEA   FOR  MATTER.  255 

greater  opportunities  of  knowledge  and  happiness 
than  most  have  discovered.  We  have  latent  within 
us  such  power  over  matter  as  we  have  but  just 
begun  to  dream. 

In  the  scheme  of  creation  we  shall  ourselves 
rank  as  creators,  with  ability  to  disintegrate  and 
reintegrate  at  will  such  forms  as  we  shall  choose 
to  bring  into  visible  existence.  We  have  hardly 
begun  to  fathom  the  latent  energies  of  either 
matter  or  mind.  We  have  but  recently  dis- 
covered new  properties  in  the  atmosphere  itself, 
and  formed  new  theories  of  light.  We  are  con- 
tinually gaining  evidence  of  the  action  of  forces 
we  have  not  even  named.  The  wealth  of  material 
energy  is  beyond  our  classification,  like  the 
unnamed  peaks  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  that 
never  yet  have  been  explored. 

We  have  not  yet  obtained  possession  of  this 
objective  life  from  which  many  appear  so  anxious 
to  get  away.  If  we  had  mastered  matter  we 
should  find  in  it  a  greater  satisfaction.  With 
perfect  strength  and  gladness  in  living,  we 
would  not  nurse  vain  longings  for  a  heavenly  life. 
In  these  ways  we  acknowledge  our  defeat.  We 
have  fallen  far  short  of  perfect  physical  expression. 
We  have  not  learned  the  earthly  things  and 
are  not  ready  for  the  heavenly.  The  law  of  love 
works  in  matter  as  well  as  mind,  and  evolution 
tends  always  to  perfection  of  species. 


256  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

As  long  as  matter  in  any  form  can  make  us 
afraid  we  are  but  raw  apprentices.  We  have 
named  the  wild  beasts,  but  we  have  not  subdued 
them.  We  have  inherited  the  garden  of  Eden,  but 
we  have  not  found  its  possibilities  of  cultivation, 
—  only  its  trials  and  temptations.  As  long  as 
we  fancy  ourselves  dependent  upon  matter  in  any 
form  for  happiness  we  are  only  lackeys  and  not 
lords. 

Our  relation  to  matter  is  that  of  the  sculptor  to 
his  clay. 

The  artist  fashions  the  form  in  which  he  wishes 
to  express  some  thought.  He  models  and  re- 
models it  until  his  purpose  has  been  perfected. 
Then  he  begins  his  work  in  the  more  enduring 
stone  or  bronze  or  marble  which  will  admit  of 
more  complete  expression.  Our  present  work  is 
in  the  modelling-room.  When  we  have  gained 
such  mastery  of  matter  that  we  can  vitalize  it  with 
our  thought  at  will  we  shall  no  doubt  pass 
on  to  higher  expression.  Meanwhile  we  get 
the  best  results  through  confidence  in  our  ability 
to  choose  and  power  to  direct  our  lives.  We  are 
truly  the  architects  of  our  own  fortunes  and  should 
no  longer  seek  to  shelter  ourselves  behind  the 
superstitions  of  "  heredity  "  and  "  fate." 

Every  man  is  a  "  self-made  man."  He  builds 
the  temple  that  his  soul  inhabits.  Whatever  its 
beauties  or  deformities,  they  are  the  manifestation 


A   PLEA   FOR  MATTER.  257 

of  his  own  thought  in  the  past,  —  even  though  that 
past  has  faded  from  his  recollection. 

There  are  unexplored  areas  of  matter  in  the 
human  brain  and  body  as  well  as  in  the  planet  we 
inhabit.  Very  few  of  our  motor  centres  have  been 
localized  yet  in  the  brain  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
scientific  mind.  Science  itself  has  given  no  com- 
plete definition  of  matter.  It  has  named  certain 
properties,  such  as  cohesion  and  gravitation.  It 
has  discovered  that  every  particle  attracts  every 
other  particle,  and  that  the  law  of  specific  gravity 
governs  the  relations  of  one  mass  to  another. 

Matter  is  the  matrix  of  mind.  It  receives  the 
impress  of  the  thought  and  expresses  it  in  form. 
As  Ovid  says,  "  The  underworld  receives  the  image. 
The  spirit  seeks  the  stars." 

Matter  and  mind  are  necessary  to  one  another 
for  expression  of  spirit.  Each  provides  us  with 
lenses  for  the  study  of  the  other. 

We  should  neither  fear  nor  hate,  despise  or  love 
either  matter  or  mind,  but  recognize  in  both  the 
servants  of  soul. 

In  the  Canary  Islands  there  are  but  few  forests 
and  little  verdure. 

When  the  Spaniards  landed  there  some  centuries 
ago  they  cut  down  the  trees  and  the  springs 
dried  up.  The  springs  were  fed  by  the  trees  and 
in  their  turn  they  watered  them.  The  forests 
absorbed  the  moisture  of  the  atmosphere.     That 


258  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

of  the  soil  was  vaporized  and  drawn  into  the 
clouds,  to  be  returned  again  in  showers.  Such 
is  the  beautiful  circle  of  nature — a  type  of  tlie 
reciprocal  relations  of  matter,  mind,  and  spirit, 
each  necessary  to  the  complete  expression  of  the 
other. 

In  our  western  world  we  sometimes  enthrone 
material  forces  and,  like  the  old  Ephesians,  fall 
down  and  worship  our  great  "  Diana."  We  say, 
"Cotton  is  king  !  "  "  Wheat  is  king  !  "  "  Corn  is 
king!  "     "Gold  is  king!  " 

We  talk  of  the  "  Almighty  Dollar,"  and  yet  we 
know  in  our  hearts  that  these  things  have  no 
power  except  that  conferred  upon  them  by  the 
human  mind.  Mere  puppets,  all  of  them,  and 
pitiably  weak  and  helpless  in  themselves.  Like 
the  lay  figures  of  the  artist,  we  invest  them  with  a 
transient  glory  and  fictitious  life,  that  they  may 
serve  us  for  a  day. 

The  old  Greek  stoics  taught  that  man  should 
live  above  sensation  and  be  indifferent  to  pleasure 
and  pain.  Epicurus  claimed,  upon  the  other  hand, 
that  everything  was  good  that  gave  man  pleasure, 
and  everything  that  gave  him  pain  was  evil.  May 
we  not  embody  both  these  teachings  in  our  new 
philosophy  and  recognize  the  use  of  all  sensation 
in  the  development  of  spiritual  consciousness  ? 
The  human  soul  must  not  be  wrecked  on  shoals 
of  matter,  or  blown    off   its    course   by  winds   of 


A  PLEA   FOR  MATTER.  259 

doctrine.  Our  greatest  dangers  are  not  those  we 
see  or  feel. 

When  we  understand  matter  it  can  no  longer 
crucify  us. 

We  must  needs  become  lords  of  life  and  death. 
When  we  can  truly  say  of  the  body,  "  I  have 
power  to  lay  it  down  and  I  have  power  to  take  it 
again,"  we  shall  have  finished  our  course.  When 
that  point  is  reached  we  shall  be  invulnerable  to 
all  material  forces,  superior  to  all  the  elements, 
fearless  of  all  earthly  conditions. 

Before  we  can  gain  this  power  we  must  change 
our  attitude  toward  matter,  and  what  we  have 
ignorantly  called   its  laws. 

We  have  been  trampled  by  its  hoofs  till  we 
have  thought  that  matter  was  our  enemy.  We 
have  denounced  it  as  the  foe  of  spiritual  life  and 
have  resented  the  necessity  of  living  in  a  material 
body  in  a  material  world.  We  have  sought  to 
punish  and  starve  the  senses  in  the  vain  delusion 
that  we  would  thus  give  satisfaction  to  the  spiritual 
nature.  Such  experiments  have  never  been  tried 
successfully. 

When  the  tides  of  life  have  brought  us  any 
good  it  must  be  quickly  seized  and  used,  else  the 
ebb  will  carry  it  out  again  beyond  our  reach. 
We  should  be  friendly  in  our  attitude  to  every- 
thing we  meet. 

We  should  welcome  and  enjoy  the  material  life 


26o  DISCOVERY   OF  A    LOST    TRAIL. 

in  order  to  accomplish  the  highest  development  of 
the  spiritual  nature.  Growth  comes  always  through 
satisfaction.  We  give  the  child  toys  in  its  nursery 
days,  and  do  not  keep  it  in  a  state  of  perpetual 
unrest.  Let  us  make  the  body  comfortable  in  every 
reasonable  way,  in  order  to  secure  the  freedom  of 
the  mind.  Thus  will  we  avoid  needless  conflict, 
and  gain  a  larger  control  of  both  mind  and  body, 
while  we  move  steadily  forward  toward  the  abso- 
lute mastery  of  both.  This  is  not  a  plea  for  indo- 
lence or  self-indulgence,  but  for  an  orderly  and 
reasonable  life  in  which  mind  and  body  shall  find 
their  true  relations  to  each  other,  and  learn  obe- 
dience to  the  will  of  the  soul.  Soul  power 
manifests  itself  in  the  largest  degree  of  opulence, 
health,  and  happiness,  and  not  in  poverty,  asceti- 
cism, and  disease.  When  we  have  learned  to  live 
we  will  find  the  body  an  organ  of  wondrous  power, 
and  never  a  clog  or  hindrance. 

It  will  be  both  palace  and  temple,  and  never  a 
prison  house.  We  will  find  wings  in  its  feet  and 
brains  in  its  finger-tips.  Fear  and  helplessness 
will  be  impossible.  A  constant  and  buoyant  glad- 
ness is  the  right  expression  of  true  life.  Life  on 
the  material  plane  offers  every  possible  facility  of 
spiritual  development  which  we  can  ever  require. 
As  long  as  we  are  dissatisfied  at  any  point  we  have 
failed  to  learn  the  lessons  set  before  us,  and  are  in 
no  state  of  mind  to  find  happiness  elsewhere. 


A   PLEA    FOR   MATTER.  26 1 

Our  health  and  fortunes  suffer  through  our 
failure  to  recognize  the  opportunities  of  to-day. 

Right  here  in  the  world  of  matter  are  the 
building-stones  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  The 
quarries  lie  all  about  us.  All  that  we  wish  to 
manifest  can  be  done  here  and  now.  All  that  we 
wish  to  possess  lies  close  at  hand,  even  to  jewelled 
crowns  of  power,  and  the  sceptre  of  archangels. 
Should  we  go  on  our  way  whimpering  and  calling 
life  a  dreary  pilgrimage,  and  longing  to  go  "  home 
to  God  "  ?  Is  not  this  world  fit  for  the  palace 
of  any  Deity  of  which  the  human  mind  can  con- 
ceive? 

We  cannot  believe  in  God  and  refuse  to  believe 
in  matter. 

We  cannot  study  matter  and  not  find  God. 

Nature  feeds  us  upon  all  sides.  We  draw  our 
life  through  millions  of  pores,  and  give  expression 
to  it  in  diverse  and  wonderful  ways. 

We  cannot  increase  our  power  over  matter  by 
denying  its  existence  and  revising  the  dictionary. 

Matter  is  objective  mind.  Mind  is  subjective 
matter. 

If  we  had  vivid  realization  of  the  forces  we 
have  been  accustomed  to  employ  as  spirit  on  the 
subjective  planes  of  our  existence,  we  would  find 
no  difficulty  in  manifesting  the  same  power  in  the 
objective  life.  It  is  always  our  doubts  that  para- 
lyze our  energies. 


262  DISCO  VERY  OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 

Power  is  the  purpose  of  life.  Law  is  its 
expression.  Man  must  master  law  and  become 
a  law  unto  himself  before  he  can  manifest  the  full 
freedom  of  power.  Nothing  but  himself  can  fix 
his  limitations.  Resentment  of  trouble  shows  that 
the  soul  instinctively  knows  the  needlessness  of 
suffering  in  any  form. 

Imagination  cannot  outstrip  the  power  of  execu- 
tion. Large  conceptions  of  the  soul's  potencies 
speedily  manifest  themselves  in  material  life. 

It  is  impossible  to  overestimate  the  power  of 
spirit  or  raise  too  high  the  standards  of  true 
idealism. 

The  present  is  as  infinite  as  the  past  or  future. 

We  may  have  full  assurance  that  man  is  uncon- 
ditio7ted  being  —  "  existence  absolute.'"  When  this 
central  truth  is  once  embodied,  man  and  God 
become  inseparably  united. 

The  Son  of  man  is  the  Son  of  God. 


It  is  not  conceit  to  realize  and  claim  our  spiritual 
powers. 

It  is  only  the  egotism  of  the  personal  man  that 
ever  doubts  or  denies  them. 


A  PLEA   FOR  MATTER.  265 


We  call  ourselves  practical  when  our  actioris 
appeal  to  the  sense  life,  and  their  good  results  are 
felt  or  heard  or  seen. 

We  are  never  truly  practical  except  when  we 
have  learned  to  govern  and  apply  our  highest 
thought. 


264  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST    TRAIL, 


All  devils  are  friendly. 

They  test  our  power  and  reveal  our  weakness. 

Many  of  man's  highest  revelations  come  to  him 
through  his  hurts  and  bruises. 

The  temptation  of  devils  always  precedes  an 
evolution  of  force. 


THE  SONG    OF  LIFE.  26$ 


XIII. 

THE    SONG    OF   LIFE. 

"  Strains    musical,  flowing  through  ages,  now   reaching 

hither, 
I  take  to  your  reckless   and   composite   chords,  add   to 

them,  and  cheerfully  pass  them  forward." 

—  IVaU  Whitman. 

Listen  to  the  song  of  Life. 

Store  in  your  memory  the  melody  you  hear. 

Learn  from  it  the  lesson  of  harmony. 

Only  fragments  of  the  great  song  come  to  your  ears 
while  yet  you  are  but  man.  But  if  you  listen  to  it  remember 
it  faithfully,  so  that  nothing  which  has  reached  you  is  lost, 
and  endeavor  to  learn  from  it  the  meaning  of  the  mystery 
which  surrounds  you.  In  time  you  will  need  no  teacher. 
For  as  the  individual  has  voice  so  has  that  in  which  the 
individual  exists.  Life  itself  has  speech  and  is  never  silent, 
and  its  utterance  is  not,  as  you  that  are  deaf  may  suppose,  a 
cry.  It  is  a  song.  Learn  from  it  that  you  are  a  part  of  the 
harmony.      Learn  from  it  to  obey  the  laws  of  the  harmony. 

—  "  Light  on  the  Path." 

In  the  old  crusading  days,  when  King  Richard 
was  returning  to  England  after  his  battles  with 
Saladin,  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  an  Austrian 
baron  and  confined  in  his  castle.  Richard's  com- 
rade, Blondel,  the  troubadour,  sought  his  place  of 
concealment  in   order  to   release  him.      He   went 


266  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 

wandering  through  Europe  singing  his  minstrel 
lays  outside  castle  walls  and  under  tower  windows 
in  the  hope  that  Richard  might  recognize  his  voice 
and  know  that  rescue  was  at  hand.  At  last  he 
came  to  the  Austrian  dungeon.  As  he  sung  the 
old-time  ballads  there  floated  to  his  ear  at  last 
the  familiar  tones  of  his  friend  taking  up  the 
answering  part  of  a  song  in  which  they  had  often 
joined. 

Blondel  hastened  back  to  England,  raised  the 
ransom  demanded  for  the  king,  and  speedily 
accomplished  his  release. 

This  story  is  beautifully  suggestive  of  the  history 
of  the  soul. 

Coming  down  through  the  forgotten  ages  of 
spirit  life,  man  has  wandered  into  matter.  He 
seems  to  be  a  captive  to  the  senses.  Why  he 
needed  to  come  at  all  he  may  not  have  yet  dis- 
covered. He  only  knows  that  every  experience  is 
valuable  in  the  history  of  his  evolution.  He  feels 
that  his  first  and  greatest  need  is  freedom.  Assured 
of  this,  all  suffering  would  cease. 

Liberty  is  the  watchword  of  the  world.  All 
modern  wars  are  undertaken  in  its  name ;  all 
colonization  schemes  developed.  We  recognize  it 
as  the  first  condition  of  unfoldment. 

Much  has  been  said  of  the  danger  of  losing  our 
souls. 

Can  we  ever  be  more  lost  than  we  are  to-day? 


THE   SONG    OF  LIFE.  26/ 

As  we  awaken  to  real  life  do  we  not  find  our- 
selves and  learn  that  matter  is  not  an  enemy,  nor 
is  the  soul  really  fettered  by  the  senses  unless  with 
its  own  consent.  If  we  prefer  the  lower  to  the 
higher  self  our  powers  decline  and  our  perceptions 
become  dimmed,  while  even  the  sense  life  grows 
clouded  and  dull.  We  seem  then  to  be  cramped 
and  shackled  by  material  existence.  The  truth  is 
dawning  upon  the  world  that  the  soul  is  always 
free  and  has  the  power  of  controlling  and  spirit- 
ualizing matter.  As  we  become  alive  to  what  we 
are  we  hear  the  voice  of  spirit  sounding  in  notes 
that  are  not  wholly  unfamiliar.  New  confidence 
and  gladness  are  awakened  in  us,  and  we  take  up 
the  responsive  strains. 

The  first  step  toward  freedom  is  right  listening. 

The  next  step  is  right  answering  to  our  part  in 
the  song  of  life. 

It  has  been  discovered  that  the  reason  some 
people  do  not  easily  learn  a  foreign  language  is 
not  that  they  cannot  pronounce  well,  but  that  they 
do  not  hear  well. 

Consequently  the  first  work  of  the  teacher  is  to 
open  the  ear  of  the  pupil. 

-   Nothing    in  life  is  of  greater  importance  than 
that  we  should  learn  the  law  of  harmony. 

If  we  hear  truly  we  shall  live  truly.  Our  higher 
self  is  lifting  up  its  voice  continually  in  song  for 
our  deliverance,  but  we  hear  only  broken  chords, 


268  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 

— we  are  so  deafened  by  the  tumult  of  the  world 
in  which  we  live. 

The  ear  is  a  wonderful  avenue  of  sense.  More 
than  eight  thousand  delicate  nerves  lead  from  it  to 
the  brain.  As  yet  they  are  only  partially  devel- 
oped. The  average  range  of  human  hearing  in- 
cludes about  twenty  thousand  vibrations  to  the 
second.  The  extreme  limits  appear  to  lie  between 
sixteen  and  forty-two  thousand. 

Many  insects  hear  a  lower  vibration  and  some 
animals  a  higher  one  than  reaches  our  mortal 
ears. 

Scientists  tell  us  that  a  sound  wave  goes  on 
forever. 

The  ether  becomes  a  reservoir  of  sound  that 
never  perishes.  Let  us  think  for  a  moment  of 
the  tones  that  have  been  poured  into  it  through 
the  ages :  nature's  voices  of  earthquake  and  tor- 
nado, the  roar  of  waters  and  of  forest  fires,  the 
rustling  of  leaves,  the  humming  of  insects,  and 
the  songs  of  birds.  There  are,  besides,  alas  !  the 
noises  of  battle,  the  shouts  of  victors,  and  the 
groans  and  cries  of  wounded  men. 

Then,  too,  there  are  melodious  strains  —  great 
bursts  of  organ  music  and  chorus  songs  of  wor- 
shippers, the  prattle  of  children  and  the  laughter 
of  mirth  and  joy. 

All  human  emotions  have  contributed  to  the 
song  of  life. 


THE   SONG    OF  LIFE.  269 

We  may  draw  from  this  great  reservoir  of  sound 
at  will. 

We  may  listen  to  the  bass  notes  of  human 
passion  and  suffering  or  to  the  lighter,  higher 
strains  of  gladness.  All  have  their  place  and 
purpose  in  the  scale  of  being. 

Through  currents  of  sympathetic  vibration  the 
sounds  to  which  we  are  attuned  will  reach  our 
ears.  If  we  hear  only  the  lower  tones  of  pain 
and  sorrow  all  life  seems  to  us  a  cry.  If  we  are 
ourselves  in  grief  we  listen  to  minor  chords.  If 
we  are  selfish  we  hear  the  notes  of  selfishness. 
If  we  are  happy  we  hear  those  of  joy.  Every- 
thing depends  upon  the  place  that  we  ourselves 
hold  in  the  chromatic  scale,  whether  we  are  most 
related  to  the  wailings  or  rejoicings  of  the  race. 
It  is  as  true  as  that  we  choose  the  evening 
concert  according  to  our  taste  in  music.  Our  free- 
dom of  choice  and  action  is  as  complete  in  one 
case  as  the  other. 

All  life  has  speech  and  is  never  silent.  The 
bitter  cry  of  outcast  London  and  the  moans  of 
famine-stricken  hordes  in  India  are  as  real  as  the 
song  of  the  morning  stars.  If  our  ears  were  not 
so  dull  we  would  hear  all  these  notes  in  their  true 
relation  to  the  symphony  of  life.  We  would  not 
then  be  pained  through  our  imperfect  listening. 
As  we  develop  spiritual  sensitiveness  and  better 
understanding  we  will  widen  our  range  of  hearing 


2/0  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

and  learn  from  nature  that  which  will  bring  all 
sounds  into  harmony. 

We  will  listen  to  the  higher  as  well  as  the  lower 
octaves.  We  will  perceive  the  "  motif"  which 
runs  through  all  the  song,  where  now  we  hear, 
as  well  as  see,  imperfectly. 

If  King  Richard  had  been  deaf  to  Blondel's 
voice  it  would  not  have  brought  his  deliverance. 

If  he  had  not  sung  the  answering  part  his  prison 
doors  would  never  have  been  opened. 

What  makes  the  soul  deaf  to  truth?  What  are 
the  obstructions  to  right  listening?  Let  us  exam- 
ine some  of  the  laws  of  the  harmony.  Perhaps 
oftener  than  in  anything  else  we  fail  through  dis- 
couragement.    We  do  not  take  life  genially. 

We  moan  at  our  own  vexations,  and  the  atmos- 
phere in  which  we  live  seems  filled  with  cries  of 
disappointment  and  distress.  Dissatisfaction  with 
ourselves  and  our  own  lot  dulls  all  sense  of  har- 
mony. 

If  we  have  ever  crossed  the  ocean  we  know  that 
when  we  traced  our  course  upon  the  chart  in  the 
cabin  it  never  showed  the  shortest  distance  between 
two  points.  Yet  we  had  sailed  upon  the  most 
direct  lines  the  winds  made  possible.  When  we 
were  blown  off  by  storms  we  set  such  canvas  as 
the  gales  permitted,  and  our  storm  sails  brought  us 
back  to  the  right  tack.  Our  compass  was  always 
true  to  the  north,  regardless  of  wind  and  weather. 


THE   SONG    OF  LIFE.  T.'Jl 

We  never  had  reason  for  discouragement,  and 
safely  made  port  at  last. 

Why  can  we  not  take  life  as  cheerily  as  the 
sailor  takes  his  changeful  voyage  ?  We  can  never 
pay  too  dearly  for  experience,  for  it  is  all  we  get 
of  any  value  here.  Our  suffering  proves  our  need 
of  the  lesson  that  causes  it.  If  it  teaches  us  to 
listen  more  carefully  to  the  inner  voice  we  have 
made  a  distinct  gain  in  spiritual  hearing. 

Discouragement  results  in  pity  for  ourselves. 
This  is  a  further  cause  of  deafness ;  self-pity  is  an 
opiate  that  benumbs  the  nerves  of  a  higher  con- 
sciousness. 

In  trying  to  evade  our  own  responsibilities  we 
deepen  trouble  and  emphasize  weakness.  Our 
ear  is  at  fault  because  we  are  not  teachable.  We 
will  not  patiently  listen  to  the  truth.  We  resent 
criticism  because  we  are  not  seeking  for  our  own 
weak  points.  We  are  not  honest  pupils  of  our 
higher  selves.  Sensitiveness  to  pain  shows  an 
unsound  part. 

Grief,  too,  makes  us  deaf  to  the  song  of  life. 
We  look  into  a  grave.  It  seems  so  wide  and  deep 
it  shuts  out  all  the  world  of  life.  It  is  as  if  the  sun 
had  set  in  inky  darkness  and  the  clouds  of  our 
sorrow  hang  heavily  about  us.  We  do  not  wish 
to  be  comforted.  We  are  dismayed  or  angry. 
We  see  only  the  great  horror  —  Death.  We  hear 
only  "  Earth  to  earth,  dust  to  dust,  ashes  to  ashes." 


2/2  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 

If  we  will  but  listen  to  the  higher  voice  we  will 
even  now  know  that  death  means  only  change  of 
consciousness.  It  means  fresh  opportunities  that 
bring  new  steps  of  progress  to  the  awakening 
soul.     If  we  will  listen  we  shall  hear: 

'•A  music  that    entwineth  with    eternal  threads   of  golden 

sound 
The  great  poem  of  this  strange  existence, 
All  whose  wondrous  meaning  has  been  found.'' 

Let  US  turn  our  thoughts  from  the  body  to  that 
which  alone  made  the  body  dear  to  us,  the  loving 
and  imperishable  intelligence  that  animated  it. 
This  we  cannot  lose,  for  there  is  no  separation  to 
kindred  spirits.  If  we  will  open  our  ears  we  will 
hear  a  new  strain  of  gladness  in  the  song  of  life 
—  a  clearer  note  that  has  been  added  to  the  Choir 
Invisible. 

Another  influence  that  dulls  our  hearing  is 
resentment.  We  are  impatient  at  the  ills  and 
inconveniences  of  life.  We  resent  our  pains  and 
seeming  helplessness.  We  cultivate  the  sense  of 
vexation  which  comes  from  unpleasant  people  and 
undesirable  conditions.  As  long  as  we  indulge 
these  feelings  we  prolong  our  difficulties.  We 
must  learn  friendliness  to  all  events  and  people 
that  touch  upon  our  lives.  We  need  not  dwell 
upon  the  things  that  most  distress  us,  except  to 
gain  from  them  some  larger  knowledge  of  the  laws 


THE   SONG    OF  LIFE.  273 

of  harmony.  If  this  is  our  most  earnest  purpose 
we  will  quickly  find  that  everything  contributes 
to  its  accomplishment. 

Indecision  is  another  note  of  inharmony.  The 
more  we  listen  to  discordance  the  more  the  ear 
gets  out  of  tune.  If  we  have  not  reached  a  final 
decision  in  our  own  minds  that  we  can  be  well  and 
happy  and  prosperous,  if  we  are  not  yet  quite  sure 
that  life  is  really  good  and  sweet  and  joyous  in  it- 
self, we  are  not  likely  to  hear  melodious  tones. 

The  work  of  reconstruction  begins  with  action 
of  the  will. 

With  confidence  in  life  restored  and  a  true  pur- 
pose assured,  we  will  soon  find  our  hearing  is 
enlarged.  The  sound  waves  change  their  charac- 
ter and  pass  from  grave  to  gay.  We  find  in  the 
song  the  ripples  of  merriment  where  once  all  was 
mournful  and  sad.  We  hear  and  see  according  to 
our  moods  as  long  as  we  permit  our  feelings  to 
govern  our  lives.  In  the  mist  of  the  emotions  all 
vibrations  are  refracted  and  unreliable. 

But  the  one  great  hindrance  to  right  hearing, 
which  sums  up  and  includes  all  others,  is  that 
most  common  weakness  of  humanity — fear.  Fear 
is  the  great  strangler.  How  we  pride  ourselves 
upon  the  faithfulness  of  "conscience"  in  applying 
its  torture  !  An  accusing  conscience  is  the  hand- 
maiden of  fear.  It  has  never  been  baptized  into 
the   freedom  of  the  spirit.      It  dwells  in  bottom 


2/4  DISCOVERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

lands  infested  with  the  ghosts  of  a  dead  past.  It 
remembers  chiefly  disappointments  and  disasters. 
It  feeds  upon  the  bread  of  remorse. 

It  is  deaf  to  the  stirring  strains  of  the  song  of 
life  that  should  arouse  every  soul  to  the  enjoyment 
of  an  ever-present  opportunity  and  power. 

It  was  just  as  necessary  that  Richard's  voice 
should  reach  the  ear  of  Blondel  as  that  the  tones 
of  the  troubadour  should  make  his  own  presence 
known. 

So  must  we  sing  clearly  our  answering  part.  It 
is  through  our  response  to  spiritual  chords  that  we 
find  the  way  out  of  our  houses  of  bondage. 

We  must  answer  in  tones  of  confidence.  We 
must  drop  the  word  and  thought  of  limitations, 
must  forget  our  prison  days,  let  go  the  past, 
abandon  our  discouragements,  self-pity,  grief,  and 
fear. 

We  will  claim  the  strength  that  is  our  birthright. 
We  will  go  forward  in  the  confidence  of  victory 
with  which  men  follow  the  flag,  reckless  of  all 
threatening  danger. 

Our  ready  response  shall  be  in  tones  o{ g'/adness, 
ringing  clear  and  true  without  a  quavering  note. 

We  will  not  talk  of  faith  only  when  we  have  the 
luxuries  and  superfluities  of  life.  We  will  not 
moan  when  everything  seems  to  be  going  away 
from  us  on  an  ebb  tide.  True  gladness  opens  to 
us  visions  of  unclouded  skies. 


THE  SONG    OF  LIFE.  2/5 

The  land  of  the  soul  is  never  swept  by  storms; 
it  is  never  shadowed  by  darkness  and  uncertain- 
ties.    There  is  in  it  no  fear  of  evil. 

This  is  our  native  home.  We  have  never 
strayed  from  it  except  in  thought.  When  we 
clear  up  our  thought  atmospheres  we  recognize 
again  the  familiar  landscape.  We  know  that 
all  our  distress  has  been  a  fantasy  of  the  dis- 
ordered senses.  We  have  been  bullied  by  shad- 
ows. 

Now  we  will  answer  the  song  of  the  soul  with 
a  new  sense  of  freedom.  We  will  not  creep  any 
longer.  We  will  arise  and  walk,  and  will  not 
sneer  if  we  are  told  that  even  wings  are  not  the 
especial  property  of  angels  and  artists.  Perhaps 
some  day  we  will  learn  to  fly  and  be  as  careless  of 
the  breaking  of  the  boughs  beneath  us  as  the  birds 
who  know  their  home  is  in  the  air. 

We  will  meet  all  the  experiences  of  life  in  tones 
oi patience.  We  will  not  utter  fretful  complaints. 
We  will  not  care  if  every  day  is  not  served  up  to 
us  with  all  the  niceties  and  dainties  we  have  coveted. 
We  will  console  ourselves  with  the  reflection  that 
our  place  is  where  we  find  ourselves,  and  our 
proper  work  is  that  in  which  we  are  engaged,  till 
we  have  fitted  ourselves  for  something  different. 
We  will  no  longer  live  in  such  a  fever  of  un- 
rest. We  will  not  exhaust  ourselves  with  con- 
stant hurry.     There  is  surely  time  and  opportu- 


276  DISCOVERY  OF  A    LOST   TRAIL. 

nity  for  everything  in  life  that  we  should  do.  The 
centuries  are  ours.  If  we  do  not  find  time  to  live 
we  shall  very  soon  be  forced  to  find  time  to  die. 
Life  administers  severe  rebukes  to  our  impatience 
when  we  make  it  necessary.  Nothing  is  more 
valuable  than  to  learn  how  to  wait  cheerfully.  It 
is  good  evidence  that  we  are  answering  life's  song 
in  notes  of  power.  Can  we  imagine  infinite  love 
that  would  be  satisfied  with  children  that  were 
paupers?  Can  we  believe  that  anything  less  than 
the  largest  good  it  could  bestow  would  satisfy  a 
love  that  is  supreme?  We  have  surely  the  right 
to  claim  for  man  all  that  we  have  ever  thought  of 
God. 

If  we  are  capable  of  conceiving  love  it  is  because 
we  ourselves  are  loving.  We  understand  wisdom 
to  the  extent  that  we  are  wise.  We  believe  in 
power  because  we  have  its  possibilities  within  us. 

"  I  am  an  acme  of  things  accomplished,  I  am 
an  encloscr  of  things  to  be,"  is  the  answer  of  the 
soul  to  the  challenge  of  life. 

"  The  Lord  is  the  strength  of  my  life.  Of  whom 
shall  I  be  afraid  ?  " 

Power  is  expressed  in  positive  conditions.  We 
cannot  afford  to  risk  the  negatives.  There  is  no 
danger  to  the  fearless  soul.  All  force  seeks  its 
service. 

Power  attracts  power,  as  strong  men  enroll 
themselves  under  the  banners  of  successful  leaders. 


THE  SONG    OF  LIFE.  2// 

The  highest  and  best  things  are  never  behind  us. 
The  choicest  fruit  is  on  the  topmost  branches. 

The  soul  will  never  be  satisfied  with  mediocrity. 
From  every  level  it  perceives  another  height 
towering  above  it  and  pushes  forward  strong  and 
buoyant  in  the  spirit  of  conquest  and  with  no 
sense  of  weariness. 

We  will  answer  life's  song  in  a  spirit  of  service. 

Service  is  the  law  of  harmony  as  it  is  the  law  of 
love. 

It  is  in  activities  for  others  that  we  gain  the 
largest  freedom  for  ourselves. 

In  teaching  others  songs  of  gladness  we  open 
fountains  of  melody  in  our  own  hearts.  In  guiding 
others  to  the  light  our  twilight  is  dispelled.  In 
feeding  others  we  appease  our  hunger.  In  help- 
ing others  we  grow  strong. 

We  are  never  without  our  opportunities  of 
service.  Every  opportunity  brings  with  it  its 
own  power.  Every  sincere  thought  or  act  of  help- 
fulness is  an  impulse  of  spiritual  development. 

We  think  sometimes  that  it  belongs  to  those 
who  possess  to  give. 

Possession  comes  through  giving,  and  not  giving 
through  possession. 

The  universal  stores  of  God  are  open  to  every 
honest  demand.  God's  work  is  never  hindered 
for  the  want  of  supplies.  Our  theories  of  benevo- 
lence are  often  at  fault,  and  we  are  apt  to  think  the 


278  DISCO  VERY  OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

thing  we  ought  to  give  is  that  which  we  cannot 
command. 

ResponsibiHty  and  opportunity  never  exist 
apart.  If  we  discover  one  we  may  know  that  the 
other  is  close  at  hand. 

When  we  have  learned  that  every  human  beincr 
is  a  part  of  the  harmony  we  very  soon  begin  to 
know  its  laws.  When  we  are  ready  to  obey 
them  the  discords  of  life  are  ended. 

If  the  race  had  understood  this  the  records 
of  history  would  never  have  been  blotted  with 
blood;  the  drama  of  the  stage  would  never  be 
the  picturing  of  crime  and  pathos;  the  worship 
of  the  temples  would  never  be  voiced  in  "  Mis- 
ereres "  and  confessions ;  the  minor  strains  of 
hfe  would  never  have  found  such  utterances  as 
these ;  religion  would  not  have  been  a  "  binding 
back ;  "  worship  would  never  have  become  a  cry 
of  terror;  creeds  would  not  have  been  required 
as  the  expression  of  man's  fears  and  superstitions. 
Of  all  the  religions  in  the  world  there  are  none 
but  what  belittle  human  life  and  darken  earth  to 
brighten  Heaven.  The  retina  of  the  eye  receives 
all  images  reversed,  but  the  brain  restores  them  to 
proper  attitudes.  The  senses  thus  invert  the 
truths  of  life.  It  is  the  soul  alone  that  can  inter- 
pret the  vision. 

Before  the  soul  has  been  awakened  we  cannot 
understand    the    meaning    of  existence.     All  our 


THE   SONG    OF  LIFE.  279 

deities  reveal  the  crudeness  of  our  thought.  Our 
images  are  blurred ;  our  negative  plates  are  so 
imperfect  that  we  cannot  get  clear  outlines  in  the 
positive  picture.  The  lights  and  shadows  are 
confused. 

Man  has  successively  outgrown  all  his  Deities 
from  Joss  to  Jehovah. 

But  still  we  grope  in  a  world  of  unreality  and  think 
of  happiness  as  something  vague  and  far  away. 

Adown  the  centuries  has  come  the  voice  of  one 
whom  Christians  call  "  the  Master."  Legend  and 
superstition  have  combined  to  make  his  accents 
fragmentary  and  uncertain.  Dogmatists  and  trans- 
lators have  done  what  they  could  to  mutilate  the 
message.  But  out  of  all  this  babel  of  commenta- 
tors we  know  to-day  that  the  Nazarene's  tones  are 
so  full  of  melody  that  when  the  ear  of  man  has 
heard  his  whole  soul  listens.  He  hears  anew  the 
song  of  life  and  finds  in  it  the  grandest  harmonies 
of  earth.  Jesus  taught  life  as  a  science  speaking 
with  authority.  The  scribes  have  turned  his 
teachings  into  weak,  moral  platitudes,  Christian- 
ity itself  has  never  proved  a  failure.  It  has  never 
been  tried.  It  has  been  taught  as  a  theory.  It 
has  been  followed  as  a  "  faith."  But  never  yet 
has  the  Christian  world  believed  it  would  be 
practical  until  after  a  "  second  advent  "  had  trans- 
formed man  and  altered  his  conditions.  How 
strangely  deluded  we  have  been  !      How  could  the 


28o  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST    TRAIL. 

trail  to  the  mines  of  truth  have  become  so  com- 
pletely hidden?  How  could  we  have  lived  so 
long  with  an  inverted  vision  and  listened  so  long 
to  the  discords  of  theology?  We  have  not  thought 
it  possible  to  learn  the  lesson  of  harmony  outside 
the  music  schools  of  the  Celestial  City. 

And  now  new  voices  from  the  unseen  reveal  to  us 
that  the  earth  life  confers  on  man  a  privilege  that 
angels  covet;  that  here  are  the  choicest  fields  in  all 
the  universe  for  the  soul's  harvesting;  that  we  are 
as  yet  but  pioneers  blazing  a  path  through  matter, 
clearing  the  ground  upon  which  shall  be  built  the 
White  City  itself,  with  its  jewelled  gates  and 
golden  streets,  rich  symbols  of  such  glories  as  the 
undeveloped  mind  cannot  yet  outline  in  its  gross 
conceptions  of  life.  Here  are  the  highest  problems 
of  the  soul  worked  out.  Here  will  its  stately  man- 
sions be  built.  Even  now  we  faintly  discern  new 
notes  in  the  great  song  as  it  is  sung  by  human 
voices  such  as  have  not  been  heard  for  many  cent- 
uries. 

Now  we  really  know  for  the  first  time  that  the 
law  of  love  is  the  law  of  life,  and  that  the  golden 
rule  is  the  most  scientific  proposition  that  has  ever 
been  submitted  to  a  sceptical  world. 

We  are  even  beginning  to  suspect  that  it  is  the 
only  rock  foundation  upon  which  man  can  rear  his 
governments,  his  social  orders,  or  his  financial 
institutions.     All  else  is  sand  that  many  tides  have 


THE   SONG    OF  LIFE.  28 1 

washed  away  before  our  eyes.  The  law  of  har- 
mony permits  no  note  of  selfishness.  The  Sermon 
on  the  Mount  is  but  a  transposition  of  the  science 
of  Euclid.  It  is  a  key  to  all  the  mysteries  that 
surround  us. 

By  and  by  we  shall  find  the  fulcrum  of  the  lever 
Archimedes  coveted,  with  which  we  can  move  the 
earth  itself. 

By  and  by  we  shall  call  across  the  stellar  spaces 
and  wake  the  echoes  of  the  distant  stars. 

The  seven  planets  will  be  compassed  by  the  cir- 
cuit of  our  telephones.  Our  wireless  telegraphy 
will  send  its  messages  to  other  spheres  than  ours. 

On  planes  yet  unexplored  we  will  apply  the 
spiritual  principles  we  are  learning  here. 

By  and  by  we  shall  hear  the  song  of  a  larger 
life  and  know  the  beauty  of  the  astral  harmonies. 

The  musical  staff  as  we  have  it  to-day  has  been 
the  growth  of  centuries.  One  generation  after 
another  has  added  line  by  line  as  it  found  its 
scope  too  small.  Man's  sense  life  has  expanded 
with  his  spiritual  consciousness  —  one  sense  fol- 
lowing another.  His  constantly  increasing  range 
of  sensibility  has  demanded  larger  expression  in 
music  as  well  as  literature. 

The  lines  of  the  staff  are  the  number  of  the 
senses.  But  musical  instruments  are  very  incom- 
plete. We  are  told  by  a  recent  writer  in  "  Atheism 
and  Mathematics"  that  to  get  complete  command 


282  DISCOVERY   OF  A   LOST   TRAIL. 

over  all  the  keys  used  in  modern  music  would  re- 
quire an  instrument  having  seventy-two  notes  in 
every  octave — that  earth's  instruments  are  out  of 
tune,  and  no  one  can  tune  or  play  them  perfectly. 

This  same  author  asserts  that  man's  vocal  organs 
are  so  carefully  planned  and  constructed  in  accor- 
dance with  mathematical  and  mechanical  laws 
that  they  can  produce  every  possible  grade  and 
shade  of  sound  within  a  compass  of  a  hundred  to 
a  thousand  vibrations  per  second. 

The  time  will  come  when  in  a  grander  chorus 
these  human  voices  will  utter  sweeter  songs  than 
ever  yet  have  been  sung  or  written. 

To-day  we  are  but  learning  single  notes. 

To-morrow  we  shall  blend  them  into  chords. 

The  hour  will  chime  when  all  humanity  shall 
know  the  law  of  harmony — when  every  note  in 
every  chord  shall  find  its  part  in  the  sublime 
oratorio  of  universal  life. 


DISCOVERY  OF  A  LOST  TRAIL 

By   CHARLES   B.    NEWCOMB 

Author  of  "All's  Right  with  the  World"     282  pages     Price  $1.50 


Rev.  R.  Heber  Newton : 

"  The  thought  is  clear  and  strong  and  sane.     The  style  is  epigrammatic  to 
a  very  remarkable  degree.    The  book  cannot  but  be  inspiring  and  stimulating, 
refreshing  and  strengthening." 
Louise  Chandler  Moulton  : 

''The  book  makes  me  think.     It  deals  with  the  very  problems  which  are 
most  occupying  my  thoughts.     I  feel  that  it  will  help  me  in  my  pursuit  of  a 
solution.     It  interested  me  from  start  to  finish." 
Charles  Malloy: 

"The  book  is  full  of  gems,  and  is  worth  a  good  deal  if  only  for  quotation. 
The  author  certainly  knows  what  he  is  saying,  and  can  say  it  well." 
Ella  Wheeler  Wilcox: 

"  I  bathed  in  its  beautiful  waters  of  truth,  and  was  stirred  by  its  strength 
and  eloquence." 
Prof.  A.  B.  Dolbear: 

"' Discovery  of  a  Lost  Trail '  is  a  thoughtful  and  most  interesting  book. 
It  is  full  of  terse  and  wise  sayings  helpful  for  health  of  body  and  mind.  It  is 
a  book  worth  having  at  hand  for  otherwise  vacant  moments  ;  for,  opening 
anywhere,  one  is  sure  to  find  something  readable  and  encouraging.  Its  affir- 
mations are  as  admirable  as  those  of  an  old  prophet." 
Marie  Corelli: 

"  I  have  received  with  thanks  and   admiration  the  beautiful  books   '  Dis- 
covery of  a  Lost  Trail '  and   'All's  Right  with  the  World.'     I  am  one  with 
the  spirit  of  their  thought  and  teachings,  and  strive  faithfully  to  follow  the 
truths  which  I  know  are  true.'''' 
Rev.  Geo.  L.  Perin: 

"  The  whole  book  is  permeated  with  that  fine  optimistic  philosophy  which 
has  helped  to  make  my  own  life  happy  thus  far.     No  matter  where  I  dip  into 
it  I  seem  to  find  it  full  of  the  same  joyful  spirit." 
Hezekiah  Butterworth: 

"This  book  is  one  to  feed  the  famine  of  the  times.     It  is  an  interpretatioa 
of  the  spiritual  law  that  builds.     Truth  lies  in  the  intuitions,  and  upon  this 
thought  the  work  sheds  a  fulness  of  light  with  many  rays.     It  is  a  notable 
contribution  to  the  age  of  new  thought," 
Rev.  Charles  Gordon  Ames: 

"The  book  makes  me  its  debtor,  partly  because  it  pricks  me  with  rebukes, 
partly  because  it  broadens  while  it  confirms  my  own  outsights  and  insights, 
partly  because  it  makes  me  aware  of  our  common  limitations." 
Dr.  J.  D.  Buck: 

"  It  is  like  a  song  of  victory,  a  bugle-note  of  rejoicing  from  the  mountains, 
and  at  the  same  time  a  challenge  to  all  dwellers  in  the  lowlands  to  '  come  up 
higher.'  And  I  cannot  help  believing  that  many  will  come  in  response  to 
the  call." 

LEE  AND  Shepard  Publishers  Boston 


ALL'S  RIGHT  WITH  THE  WORLD 

By    CHARLES    B.    NEWCOMB 

Author  of  "Discovery  of  a  Lost  Trail"     261   pages       Price  $1.50 


Julian  Hawthorne: 

'■'■  It  is  a  worthy  and  helpful  book,  and  you  may  well  be  glad  to  have 
written  it." 

Ella  Wheeler  Wilcox: 

"  Your  book  is  full  of  strength,  stimulation,  and  balm.     It  is  beautifully 
written,  too,  —  splendid    thoughts  splendidly  expressed.     It  must  do  much 
good." 
Edna  Lyall: 

"  I  am  enjoying  it  very  much.     Specially  I  like  the  chapter  called  '  Mental 
Microbes.'     It  is  a  book  I  shall  always  value." 
Mrs.  John  A.  Logan: 

"It  will  be  read  by  me   very  many  times  for    its   marvellous   power  of 
thought,   perfect    diction,  and  complete  analysis  of  many  problems  of  life, 
answering  many  queries  that  vex  one,  giving  rest  with  repose." 
Prof.  John  Fiske: 

"  It  is  a  suggestive  and  thoughtful  book." 

Frances  E.  Willard: 

"  The  very  title  is  an  inspiration.  I  have  it  on  my  dressing-bureau,  and 
am  looking  it  over  with  much  solace  of  spirit." 

Julia  Ward  Howe: 

"  It  is  a  book  which  must,  I  think,  have  an  especial  ofifice  in  these  some- 
what pessimistic  times." 

Rev.  Myron  Reed: 

"  There  is  ease  and  there  is  light  in  it.     I  will  place  it  with  my  Emerson." 

J.  T.  Trowbridge: 

"  I  am  sure  the  volume  will  be   found  healthful  by  that  large  and  ever- 
growing class  of  readers  who  confute  the  assertion  that  this  is  a  materialistic 
age." 
Prof.  A.  E.  Dolbear: 

"  I  find  much  good  thought  in  it.  I  am  reminded  of  Emerson  on  nearly 
every  page,  but  you  follow  up  with  Emersonian  insight  and  happy  expres- 
sions." 

Henry  Wood: 

"  The  human  world,  which  is  crowded  with  supposed  ills  on  every  plane, 
needs  just  such  a  practical  and  optimistic  interpretation  of  life  and  destiny." 

Horatio  W.  Dresser: 

"  It  has  the  merit  of  quickening  the  reader's  mind." 

Lilian  Whiting: 

"■  I  have  seldom  found  anything  so  peculiarly  helpful  as  your  valuable  and 
thoughtful  book , ' ' 

LEE  AND  Shepard  Publishers  Boston 


HELPS  TO 

RIGHT  LIVING 

By    Katharine     H.    Newcomb        52    Chapters 
Cloth     $1.25 

"THIS  book  contains  certain  principles  of  the 
higher  spiritual  philosophy  adapted  to  the  uses 
of  life,  its  purpose  being  to  strengthen  character 
and  insure  health  through  the  development  of  the 
interior  consciousness. 

Mrs.  Newcomb  is  satisfied  to  state  the  law  of 
spiritual  development  as  she  has  learned  it  through 
individual  experience  rather  than  from  the  testi- 
mony of  others.  There  is  no  effort  to  prove  her 
affirmations  of  truth  by  the  logic  of  the  senses,  or 
by  citation  of  authority  beyond  the  recognition  of 
a  kindred  thought  uttered  by  philosopher  and  poet. 

No  one  seeking  practical  "  helps  to  right  living" 
can  glance  through  the  finely  printed  pages  of  this 
book  without  meeting  a  thought  that  will  strike 
directly  to  some  present  need.  —  Neiu  Chris- 
tianity. 

It  is  vital  with  immortal  truths  whose  help- 
fulness can  never  be  outgrown.  I  shall  keep  the 
book  on  my  study  table  to  be  taken  up  and  read 
at  odd  moments  when  I  need  a  stimulus  or  find 
mj'self  flagging  in  obedience  to  duty.  — Alary  A. 
Livermore. 

The  simplicity  and  directness  with  which  the 
truths  it  contains  are  set  forth  will  aid  much,  I 
feel,  in  making  it  of  great  value  to  many  readers. 
In  addition  to  its  bringing  a  certain  peace  and 
tranquillity  into  their  lives  it  will  also  aid  in  point- 
ing out  to  them  the  great  fact  that  each  can  deter- 
mine and  rule  the  Avorld  —  his  world  —  from 
within. — Ralph  Waldo   Trine. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD  Publishers  BOSTON 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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Discovery  of  a 
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